


No Gods or Kings

by Woodwife



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - BioShock Fusion, Blood and Gore, I Don't Even Know, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Injury, Love Triangles, M/M, Mentioned EXO (EXO), Mentioned Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Mentioned Yoon Jeonghan, Minor Character Death, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Violence, Weird update schedule
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:46:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24837118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woodwife/pseuds/Woodwife
Summary: "Humans just can't leave a failure a failure, can they?"Years after the fall of Rapture - the infamous, but mysterious underwater city - Mark Lee's reporter cousin, Johnny, gets an invitation to the newest rendition of Rapture. A city called Elysium. With the promise of a VIP experience, as well as a chance to meet the original crew of explorers and researchers that visited Rapture's watery remains, Johnny convinces Mark to tag along as his photographer. They are greeted with incredible sights and even better parties, but with a possible undercover cop tailing them and an annoyingly attractive singer around every turn, what could possibly go wrong?(Otherwise known as the self indulgent NCT OT21 × Bioshock fic that nobody asked for. And you don't even need to know Bioshock to read.)
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Nakamoto Yuta, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Qian Kun, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 20





	1. Is It Someone New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome!
> 
> I wanted to start by saying you do not need to know Bioshock to read this!  
> I am going to try my absolute best to explain what I need to about the universe without spoiling the games too much. If something doesn't make sense you can ask in the comments and I'll be more than happy to help.
> 
> Also, there are a number of easter eggs hidden throughout the story. I can do a final chapter to reveal them all at the end if it's something people would want.

Mark scrapes the heel of his boot across the dirty tiles as he attempts to unstick himself from the uncomfortable plastic chair he’s currently occupying. The tiny oscillating fan by the corner window of the office does little to alleviate the sticky heat of summer and the humming of the lights is doing nothing for the headache he can feel growing behind his eyes. Annoyance pools in his gut at the smoke curling around him in waves from where the secretary is sitting at her desk, cigarette firmly placed between her thin lips and smearing her lipstick a little at the edges, as she clacks away loudly at her typewriter. She’s on her third or fourth smoke, though Mark might have lost count, just in the time he’s been sitting there waiting. 

It’s here, sitting outside of his boss’ office, among the smoke and the humming electronics with a pink slip gripped in his sweaty palm that Mark swears he’s hit rock bottom.

The glass door to the office finally swings open, the blinds smacking loudly against the window. Mark forgoes bouncing his leg nervously, instead springing to his feet in a rush, the jacket tied around his waist snagging on the arms of the chair and almost pulling him back down in a heap. He manages to right himself and takes a moment to push his sweaty bangs out of his face before chasing after the stout man who had taken off down the hallway without even giving Mark a second glance.

“Mr. Jung,” Mark calls out as the two of them reach the stairs that would lead them down to the printing room. The older man stops and sighs, obviously anticipating this conversation, before finally turning his attention to Mark. The older man levels him with a look that screamed barely contained annoyance.

“Yes, Mr. Lee, how may I help you today?” He asks, tone clipped, as if the paper in Mark’s hand did not have his signature messily scrawled on the bottom corner. As if that signature didn’t cost him his job. As if he didn't have the time to grace Mark with answers. 

Mark hesitates for a moment before taking the final step until he’s face to face with the shorter man.

While sitting in that god-awful chair, Mark had come up with a whole speech about how letting him go was a mistake. About how his photography was a staple to their little paper and that without him they would be nothing, but it’s as he thrusts the paper out towards the balding man that everything he previously came up with escapes his mind and he lets out an almost pitiful “Why?”

Mr. Jung sighs again, the air leaving him in a stale gust as his face relaxes into one that, to Mark, almost looks like pity. At this point, Mark doesn’t want the pity, he wants his job back. Or at least a good explanation as to why he was hit with this news, seemingly out of nowhere and why it couldn't have been someone like the stingy secretary in the other room.

“Because, Mr. Lee,” Jung pauses, as if thinking over how to explain in a way Mark would understand, like speaking with a hurt child unable to comprehend why adults made certain decisions, “with the rise of shiny new media networks, the paper just can’t afford to keep you on. I’m sorry, I really am, but we’re small time, kid. If we continue as we are the company will probably end up being bought out soon anyways.” Again he pauses, before setting a sweaty hand against Mark’s shoulder. “Might as well get out while you can.”

Mr. Jung says it as if he’s saving Mark from some sort of trouble. As if blessing him with the chance to what? Get out there and get another job? As easy as that may seem, he’s stuck in a big city, all moving parts and never-ending energy. It leaves Mark little chance at just picking up another job on the spot. At least not something that wasn't soul suckingly boring or teeming with young sluggish high school kids who wanted to be anywhere but there. Plus, it definitely would not be soon enough to pay his half of the rent. His now former boss must see Mark deflate in obvious defeat, trying to give him a half-hearted smile.

“There’s really nothing that can be done, is there?” Mark asks, despite knowing what the answer is probably going to be. Mr. Jung just pats his shoulder where his hand had previously been resting before waving him off to the secretary’s desk to grab his things and file last minute paperwork. He doesn't even spare Mark a last glance as he waffles down the stairs.

Even the secretary has the sense to give him a sympathetic look as he slides up to her desk, giving him a pat on the hand as she passes him his last paycheck. She rolls her little chair from her desk to the filing cabinet off to the side, turning her back on Mark as well. She still has that infuriating cigarette dangling from her lips. 

Mark dismisses himself shortly after, his camera, the only possession he had at the office that was worth anything, tucked securely in his backpack.

The bus ride home is strangely quiet and surprisingly not as crowded as the afternoon transit usually is. Maybe it’s just a reflection of how Mark feels; stuffy and a little empty. He doesn’t really know what to do at this point. He rests his forehead against the warm glass and half-heartedly debates how to break the news to his roommate as he watches the buildings pass by in a blur of cold metal, but that seems like an issue for future Mark.

After getting off of the bus and making a quick pit-stop at the convenience store around the corner, he steps into the main lobby of his apartment building. The muffled argument from the couple in unit 103 greets him, covering even the sound of the little bell above the door. It was, at least, one weird constant in his life. 

Mark takes a moment at the door, thanking whoever would listen that the air conditioning seemed to be working again. He sighs in relief as he adjusts the bag in his arms, causing it to rustle loudly as he digs for his keys. He makes quick work of checking the mailbox, pulling out a handful of envelopes before making his way to the elevator.

The rickety old thing rustles to life with a metallic screech, a noise that many would probably find concerning, but seems normal to Mark. Soon enough he’s stepping out of the ugly mirrored interior of the elevator onto the fourth floor, making quick work of opening the door to 415 and stepping inside.

“I’m home,” he calls out as he kicks his cousin’s shoes out of the way and under the shoe rack that neither of them seemed to actually use. He thinks he hears some sort of muffled reply from another room in the house as he kicks his own shoes off and heads to the kitchen. “I brought food!”

The sound of tiny feet pattering against the wooden floor catches Mark’s attention and he smiles, dropping the stuff in his arms onto their small table and squatting down to pat Flower, his cousin’s cockapoo, on the head. The energetic puppy yips in excitement as she circles around him, most likely summoned by hearing the word food and expecting Mark to have a treat for her. He just shakes his head, scooping her up in his arms and leaving a soft kiss on the top of her head. He tries, but fails to avoid her slobbery licks to his cheeks.

“You spoil her too much.” Mark looks up at his cousin’s voice, looking over the tiny dog's head at Johnny with a bemused grin. His hair is wet, probably just out of the shower, and he's wearing those silly looking teddy bear pajama's Mark's mother had sent him years ago for a birthday or some other random holiday. They're lovingly tattered and just a little short in the legs. It suited the overgrown teddy bear aesthetic his cousin radiated, helped in part by his gentle, but playful demeanor. Maybe telling him the bad news wouldn't be so bad after all.

“And? We aren’t even supposed to have her. What if the building manager found out?” Mark fake gasps, focing his previous thoughts from his head as Johnny lets out a short laugh. It's a dumb game Mark liked to play, using their apartment's no pet policy to make Johnny give up any complaints he had about Mark babying Flower. Or anything else his older cousin found to complain about. 

Flower was cute and they were both weak to her powers, so what?

“You got me there.” Johnny sighs.

Mark grins as he presses his cheek to the dog’s brown curls, rubbing against the top of her head slightly. “Mark and Flower one, Johnny nil.”

“Yeah, yeah, brat. You said something about food?” As he says it, he’s moving to flop down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, pushing the bag of take out aside and gathering up the mail instead. Johnny flicks through them with a practiced grace, bills in one pile and everything else in another. Mark finally puts Flower down after a moment, walking the few short steps to their tiny kitchen.

“Anything good?” he calls, as he makes quick work of scrubbing his hands clean, shaking them partially dry before moving to grab plates from the cabinet. He then turns to dig through their crowded refrigerator for two bottles of cola.

Mark lets out a little trumphiant noise as he precariously balances the bottles and plates in his still semi-wet hands and waddles past the puppy tailing him to sit in the only other chair at the table.

"Mostly bills." Johnny says calmly, grinning at Mark, who is making quick work of ripping into the takeout bag and portioning out their dinner of ready-made convenience store chicken. Only the best for their weird little family. 

"This though," Johnny trails off, waving an elaborately decorated envelope in front of his face. Mark could just make out Johnny's name in gold foil print on the front and what looked to be a big blue wax real on the seam of the envelope.

Mark pushes the plates away from him, standing enough to reach out with greasy fingers to make a grab at the envelope. His cousin snatches it away just before he makes contact though, giving Mark a disgusted look.

"What's that? I wanna see." Mark pouts, but sits back down, chair skidding slightly across the floor, letting out a small screech. It's enough to offend Flower apparently, the little dog bouncing around the chair legs and barking in short bursts.

Johnny leans down to summon her closer and scoop her into his lap, shushing her quickly by tearing off a piece of his chicken and feeding it to her. And he had the nerve to say Mark was spoiling her.

"It's an invitation. I got asked at work a few days ago if I was interested in going on a trip for a new story they'd like me to cover," he grins again, head tilted to the side like a big puppy, an overgrown version of the one in his lap, "this is just the official invite for that job."

"A new story?" Mark's interest certainly peaked at that. 

Johnny worked as a journalist for some company Mark couldn't quite remember the name of. Neo-something? If he saw it he could point it out, but to remember off the top of his head was a little more difficult. He did remember that they mainly worked on historical based articles though, probably why Mark couldn't really be bothered to take more than the obligatory level of interest in Johnny's normal work. This invitation though, promised something way more interesting than a pictureless article on the extinction of something-or-other species.

Johnny nods as he feeds Flower another bite from his plate, still working on calming her jittery nerves. "Do you remember the hype about that underwater city when we were kids?" Mark's brow wrinkles a bit as he thinks it over. 

He can vaguely remember his parents talking about a strange city and around the same time the strange disappearances of a number of young kids. Though, he could have sworn it was confirmed to only be young girls going missing. 

It was still one of the reasons both his and Johnny's parents had absolutely lost their minds with worry when both boys had hopped a bus to visit the beach alone one summer. Mark had only just turned twelve and Johnny sixteen. Their sticky, sand covered fingers and the stinging of their sunburned skin was the least of their concerns when they had finally made it home that night and scolded harshly for their actions.

"I think so. What about it?"

At this, Johnny gets up, placing the dog on the floor before striding over to their bookshelf and rifling through some things. He pulls a small stack of magazines from amongst their unread book collection and brings them back to the table, dropping them onto the wooden surface unceremoniously.

"Rapture was a big deal in the 50's. A city built underwater by some rich dude that promoted the idea of freedom from big institutions and their regulations," Johnny explains as he flips through the magazines, only to pause on certain pages and pass them over to Mark. "It was supposed to be a utopia for people who wanted to get away from the consequences of the war, but something bad happened and nobody really knows what."

Mark nods along, looking over blue and green printed pages with illustrations of sea creatures swimming amongst buildings and elaborate doodles of diving suits and submarine pods.

"I kinda remember now. Didn't a civil war take place though?" Mark asks, jumping slightly when Johnny slaps a hand down on the tabletop, causing the plates to clink together as they shift precariously closer to falling off the edge of the small space.

"That's the thing! Nobody really knows what happened. It's all just a guess." Johnny grins as he shuffles through a few more pages before pointing at a picture of a ruffled looking man surrounded by a few little girls gripping tightly onto his clothes. "This man was one of the first to surface after the supposed fall of the city. Came out of the water in this pod. He went on and on about human experimentation, mind control, superpowers. All sorts of stuff." Johnny pauses for a moment to catch his breath, his excitement about the subject taking over.

"And he wasn't the first one to turn up with these crazy stories, but when people started hearing about what happened in Rapture they put together teams to go in and investigate. The thing is, most of them didn't come back with anything more than a few pictures of the sections of the city that weren't completely flooded. Nothing to validate any of these claims."

"That's weird," Mark mutters as he looks over a few more photos of rusted architecture and sea weathered statues. There should have been people in those photos, right? People should have been left in the city still, so where were they, he wonders. He pauses a moment before looking back up at his cousin. "So what does this," he gestures to the magazines and then to Johnny, "have to do with your job?"

Johnny grins at him as he settles back into his chair. "Everything." 

He grabs the previously abandoned envelope again, tearing into the paper and dramatically brandishing the letter inside. "Of course someone would want to retry building an underwater city, cause that's some cool shit, but this, my sweet Minhyung, is my ticket into the city and to meet the first Korean team to set foot in Rapture during the investigations."

Mark takes a moment to process his cousin's words, making a face as he does, both at his dramatics and the use of his birth name. Calling him Minhyung was really something only Johnny and his mother could get away with at this point. 

"So you're going to take the job?" Johnny nods, smiling at him before looking down to glance over the letter in his hands.

"It's only supposed to be for a week or so. Enough time to explore the city and talk to the people living there. I'll have an interview with the EXO team at some point too, which is huge cause they haven't really done any interviews since coming back from Rapture." He shrugs slightly as he speaks, still focusing on the paper as he talks. "You never know though. An underwater city sounds really cool. I might just like it enough to stay longer."

Johnny's joking, Mark knows he is just by his tone, but he can't help the sharp feeling that spreads through his chest at the thought. It's a weird mix of emotions, if he's being honest; an ugly blending of pride for his cousin's achievements, but also twisted in with something that feels very much like envy bubbling just beneath his ribs. Mark doesn't really want to look too closely into that though.

"Hey, you good?" Mark's attention snaps from the coffee stain marking the table's surface he had unconsciously focused on back to his cousin's now questioning face. He quickly tries to school his expression, knowing he must have been scowling.

"You… you spaced out for a minute there." Johnny's voice is soft when he speaks, leveling Mark with a concerned glance. It makes Mark's stomach roll with unease and a little bit of guilt as well.

"I'm okay. I'm fine." Mark forces a smile as he says it. "I'm happy for you. This seems like a really good opportunity."

"Minhyung."

It's just one word, only his name, but his cousin says it so softly and with so much affection and worry. It easily makes Mark's makeshift walls crumble.

It's a special gift Johnny has, especially when it comes to Mark. Probably from years of experience and growing up together. He somehow had the ability to see right into Mark's mind. The cofidence and gracefullness to express that, no matter what, he's there to listen, often reduced into nothing more than a soft smile and a single word. It has always been something Mark was powerless against. 

Everything that he had been trying to keep bottled since earlier that day comes tumbling out at once.

"I lost my job at the paper." Mark pauses, watching his cousin's face carefully for a reaction, but when he sees only Johnny's calm expression he continues. 

"They fired me this morning and I don't know how I'm going to find a new job. Or help pay for rent and bills, especially with you leaving now," Mark's words spill out, unable to stop himself now that he's started. "And I know this job is a good thing for you and that the chances of you staying after the week is up and leaving me behind are slim, but I just," he pauses, taking a shaky breath. "I should be happy for you, I know, but I don't want you to leave, hyung."

Mark's use of the honorific must shock Johnny because he stares at him, wide eyed, a moment of silence passing before he lets out a long breath that quickly devolves into a short exhaled laugh. "You're an idiot, Minhyung."

His words make Mark flinch, not that they had any bite to them really. It's just that he knows he's being irrational and that his explanation was jumbled and messy, not making sense to anyone but himself probably. God, why was he such a mess. Why was he cursed with terrible communication skills?

Johnny reaches across the table to place a hand on top of Mark's to stop him from picking at anything and everything he could. A nervous habit he picked up from his mother at some point. She was known for picking her nails when she was overly stressed or angry. Another person who bottled her emotions up.

Johnny smiles gently as he rubs his thumb over Mark's knuckles. It's a soothing motion that makes Mark calm slightly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you an idiot, but you do know I wouldn't ever leave you behind. Right?"

Mark raises a brow, carefully watching his cousin's face for any signs of a lie. When there is none he takes a breath, releasing it slowly. He lets his shoulders droop as he tries to relax. "Okay."

"This actually works out pretty perfectly, if I'm being honest." Johnny is still gently holding both of Mark's hands in his. Completely ignoring the shocked look on Mark's face at his words, he continues. "I don't know if you thought I'd be mad about you losing your job, but I'm not. You're not the first person I've talked to that's having a hard time right now. Plus, I wanted to ask you to come with me at first as my photographer, but I figured you'd be too busy with work. I was resigned to finding someone else, but now…"

"Now I'm a free agent." Mark finishes for him.

"Exactly." Johnny's smile is bright as he sits back slightly, gently dropping his hold on Mark to drum his fingers against the table. "If you'd want, you can come with me. Neo Zone already offered a contract to a photographer of my choice and the invitation from Elysium extends to a plus one."

Mark's head is a jumble of information, but the fact that his cousin is offering him a job, the job of a lifetime really, does not fall on deaf ears. "You really want me to go?"

At this, Johnny gives Mark a halfhearted glare, making the younger shrink down into his chair slightly. "Of course, dumbass. Name a better person for the job in this city." He waits a moment, silence settling over them. "Okay then."

"What about Flower and the apartment?" Mark questions, eyeing the puppy now fast asleep on the floor in their small living room. She's settled in a patch of evening sunlight streaming in from the windows.

"Well, I can pay rent ahead of time since we won't be here," he holds his hand up to silence the complaint sitting on the tip of Mark's tongue. "Don't. I can handle this much." He pauses as he too looks over at Flower and smiles as he watches her little legs twitch in her sleep; most likely dreaming of chasing the squirrels in the park they frequent. It's cute and enough of a distraction to settle the last of Mark's nerves. "And Jisoo is in town. I can offer the place to him and he can watch Flower."

"I didn't know Joshua was in town."

"Yeah, he called me a few nights ago. He's here for a friend's wedding, I think, and he planned on sticking around for a little while to visit family."

It's then that they both look at each other and Mark can't help the smile that creeps across his face at the almost dopey look on Johnny's face. He's obviously excited. Honestly, Mark feels a little bit excited as well.

"Alright. I'll do it." It's a spur of the moment decision, to run off and explore an unknown underwater city, but he has this feeling something wild is going to happen and he can't resist the pull to go.

Johnny grins wide, grabbing his forgotten cola off of the table and holding it up towards Mark.

"To Elysium."


	2. There's Always a Lighthouse

" _Getting to the airport is always easier in concept than actually doing it,_ " Mark thinks miserably as he attempts to hike his backpack into a comfortable position on his shoulders while also not losing track of his papers or a frazzled looking Johnny. He should have known it was going to end up like this. 

Even with a full week of prep, signing forms with the company, and making sure they both had everything they needed for their trip, they were still a mess. He really should have known.

Johnny's brother, Joshua, had arrived late the night before they were to leave, waking both him and Mark. He was in the process of stumbling into the apartment with a half drunk man clinging to him for dear life. Joshua quickly explained that his friends had decided to greet him as soon as his plane landed earlier in the day. They had carted him off to some dodgy bar, which turned into a few more questionable bars and clubs, for a night of cheap booze and catching up before the last minute rush of Meanie wedding preparations took over. Whatever that even meant.

The man Joshua had barely been able to keep steady was his long time best friend, just recently turned boyfriend, Jeonghan. It was a long distance relationship they were trying out and "Hannie was just excited that I'm home and overdid it." 

After some quick slurred introductions - even though both Mark and Johnny had met Jeonghan numerous times before - and a whole lot of cursing, the two somehow maneuvered through the apartment to Johnny's room with only minimal tripping and stumbling. When the door finally clicked shut Mark was left to attempt to fall back to sleep. Though, he now had a plus one to his own rather small bed, which made it a little more difficult.

The next morning, really only a few hours later, had greeted them with even more chaos. Mark swears he had set his alarm the night before, only to realize as Joshua was shaking the two of them awake an hour later than expected, that he had set his clock for PM instead of AM.

Cursing his mistake, Mark attempted to free himself from the tangle of his overheated sheets - Johnny was an actual living furnace - and scrambled about trying to remember everything he needed to grab for last minute packing.

Another half hour later found Mark dancing impatiently outside of the building's elevator waiting for Johnny to once again go over Flower's schedule and care requirements. Ones that Mark knew were already written out in Johnny's messy scrawl and taped to the front of their refrigerator. And the kitchen cabinet. And the mirror above their bathroom sink.

"I've got it, Youngho." Mark watches as Joshua pats his brother's back as he pulls him into a tight hug. Johnny, in turn, ruffling Joshua's already sleep-tangled hair. They're in the middle of the hallway, a now more sober looking Jeonghan holding a squirming Flower in their apartment doorway. Johnny must say something in response that Mark can't quite hear because Josh nods before pushing his brother gently in the direction of both Mark and their bags. "Go. I've got this, no problem!"

Johnny takes a moment to run back and give Flower one last pat on the head, wiping the slobber on his hands from her excited kisses onto his jeans before he's rushing to join Mark. They both struggle a little getting their largest bag over the lip of the elevator, but it comes unstuck just as the ding of the doors rings out.

It's as the doors of the elevator are closing that they hear Jeonghan yell out an enthusiastic "Have fun" at the same time Josh is shouting a final "Be careful, love you!"

All of that had led up to them both being in line at the tiny airport, waiting to go through security and hopefully making it to the hangar for their flight on time. Mark checks his watch as he bounces from one foot to another, noting that they're already cutting it close. He can't help but to pray the old security worker has a setting faster than sloth, but at this point it really didn't seem like it.

According to the letter Johnny had been sent, he and his plus one, should he choose to bring one, we're to take a small private plane leaving from the airport around noon. It was supposed to take them to a drop off where they were to meet their guide, a man named Wong Yukhei, who would take them into the city and get them settled in wherever they would be lodging.

Finally the two of them make it to the front of the line, both Mark and Johnny moving through the security process as fast as they can. They empty their things into the bins, stripping accessories and shoes at record speed, all while also trying not rushing the elderly employee. Even in a rush, Johnny especially, hated being rude.

Eventually the old man waves them both through the gate with a kind smile. They shuffle to grab their bags, Mark hobbling a little as he struggles to pull his boot back on.

"What gate are we looking for?" Mark asks, his shoe finally slipping on past his heel, even if the laces hang loose and he has to keep his eyes firmly fixed on the ground to keep from tripping over them. Johnny just hums as he looks around, spotting the sign for Gate 4 in the distance.

"There." As soon as he says it, his fingers wrap around Mark's thin wrist, his other hand firmly gripping their luggage. He walks off towards the entrance in long strides, dragging Mark along with him, who sputters a few choice curses under his breath as he struggles to keep up and not faceplant into the polished tile flooring.

Finally, Johnny stops at the gate, dropping Mark's arm as he does. He peers around once he notices the empty desk at the front and Mark watches as he does a big twirl in place to glance around the general area for someone in uniform to give their tickets to.

The only person close to them is a man who looks to be close to their age, sitting sprawled out in one of the chairs in the waiting area. He's definitely not in the airport uniform, though, lacking the black and red attire donned by the staff. Instead he's sporting a pair of grey overalls, top half rolled down and tied around his waist, and a white shirt with the sleeves cuffed to the elbow.

The man's focus is firmly on the book in his lap, propped up against the leg he has crossed over top of the other, one boot clad foot tapping along to whatever song the man is humming softly to himself. A slightly tattered looking brown leather jacket is thrown across the chair beside him, but aside from that it looks like the stranger has no other luggage with him.

Johnny looks down at Mark, now crouching down to tie his shoe tightly, before shrugging and clearing his throat.

"Excuse me?"

The stranger looks up slowly, dark eyes peering at them through his bleached, sandy blond bangs. He cocks an eyebrow at them as his head tilts to the side slightly, looking them both up and down before narrowing in on Johnny.

"Oh." His voice is soft as he says it. Then he's snapping the book shut and stretching out slightly as he stands, arms raised up over his head. He drops the book onto the seat he just vacated and grabs the jacket, swinging it over his shoulder before stepping up to Mark and Johnny. He is, Mark notes, about the same height as him and the stranger has to tilt his head back some to talk to Johnny who towers over them both.

"You're Johnny Suh?" He asks. When Johnny nods the other nods back at him, a small movement of acknowledgement. He then tilts his head in Mark's direction. "Your plus one?"

"I'm Mark." He offers with a polite smile.

"Kun." Is the response he gets before the man turns his attention back to Johnny, motioning at the tickets in his hand. "Those would be for me." He holds out a hand and Johnny casts Mark a look before handing them over.

Kun looks them over quickly before folding them and tucking them into the side pocket of his pants.

"Um, who exactly are you?" Johnny asks after a moment, staring at the stranger in confusion.

To his credit, Kun just smiles like he expected the question and gives them a nonchalant shrug as he sways back and forth on his heels slightly. "Qian Kun. I'll be your pilot to Elysium today and probably your ride back after your visit is over." He notes.

Mark nods in understanding as he watches Johnny's shoulders relax out of the corner of his eye.

"Alright, guys. As much as I love sitting around this place reading," Kun says, an obvious note of playful sarcasm in his voice, "We should get going. Xuxi is waiting for us and he's probably getting antsy that we're running behind." 

Kun leads them through the gate door and down a set of stairs. Out of the building they find themselves following the man out onto the main strip and to a small plane tucked off to one side.

The aircraft is painted white, gold and emerald green lines decorating the sides in pretty swirls. The tail fin as well as the floats on the bottom of the plane also sporting designs. Mark hasn't really seen a plane quite like this before, but then again he hasn't really been in one before either. It was hard enough to pick people up from the airport, let alone actually travel.

Kun moves quickly, jumping up on one of the floats to pull open the side door. He turns and holds out his hands to the two, motioning for their bags.

"I can just secure those in the spare seat," he offers, taking the larger suitcase from Johnny and shuffling their luggage around to get it to fit. Mark hurries to pull his camera from his bag, throwing the strap around his neck, before his bag is taken and added to the pile.

When he's done, Kun takes a step back to open the door to the cockpit this time. He pokes his head inside and rummages around for a moment before he emerges with three sets of headphones in hand.

"It's going to get a little loud in there at takeoff," he explains. "These will protect your eardrums, but it also makes it easier for us to communicate during the ride." He explains, handing one pair to both Johnny and Mark and showing them how to use the button to speak. When he thinks they've got it he moves to swing himself up into the pilot's seat, pulling his own earphones on over his blond hair. "One of you can sit in the back and one can move up front with me."

Johnny takes a look at Mark before smiling, nodding with his head. "Go ahead to the front. You've got the camera." Mark nods back and smiles at his cousin before crawling into the plane as well, moving to get comfortable in the front seat of the plane.

Kun is messing with the controls as Johnny climbs in behind them, pulling the door shut tightly and quickly tugging on his safety belt. Mark can't help but want to take a picture at that moment, but he's not sure if he's allowed and decides against bothering the pilot beside him for the time being.

Mark can feel his nerves climb as the plane begins to hum with life around him as Kun settles back into his seat. He flashes him a smile and a thumbs up as he does before clicking the little button on the headset to turn on his mic.

"We're all set to depart, if the two of you are ready." Kun's voice hums through his ears, loud and surprisingly clear despite the noise the plane is now making.

Mark sees Johnny nod out of the corner of his eye, Kun no doubt completely missing the motion from the seat behind him. Mark reaches up to click his own button, with a fumbling hand, almost missing it at first.

"I think we're both good," he pauses before adding, "Mind if I take some pictures in the air? I don't want to be a distraction."

"Not at all." Kun grins as he pulls out a pair of sunglasses and slides them on his face. "I hope you brought a lot of film for that thing. The skies are pretty, but I have a feeling you're gonna love the city even more."

Mark just smiles as he turns to snap a quick shot of Johnny in his seat, fidgeting with the seatbelt nervously as he stares out the window at the gray concrete of the runway.

After that there's a flurry of activity, Kun speaking to someone through his headset as the plane moves off towards the strip. Soon enough, Mark is gripping tight to the armrests of his chair as the plane finally takes off, his world tilting dizzyingly as they're drifting up into the skies.

Kun talks both him and Johnny through it. Just idle chatter, really, until they're breaking through the cloud cover and the plane levels out, becomming more steady.

Mark's eyes are glued to the scene. He can see the city in the distance, growing smaller and smaller as time crawls on. At the same time, the open ocean greets them; a blanket of deep blue that goes on and on for miles ahead. Before he even registers it, Mark's camera is up and he's snapping shot after shot of it all.

The ride is pretty quiet from there, other than the hum of the engine and the occasional snap of his camera. He's not sure how long it's been, but Mark swears he hears Kun humming to himself off and on, though he can't quite be sure over the ambient noises around them. That's why Mark jumps when the headset clicks on again after a while, Kun's voice filtering through.

"If you look up ahead, you'll see our destination."

Mark quickly looks up and he feels, rather than sees, Johnny move to look around the seats as well.

Off in the distance, Mark can make out the sight of a small island. The ocean's waves are crashing against the stone shores, leaving white foam in their wake before they're washed away as the next wave hits. From what he can tell, the island isn't very big. Enough so for what seems to be a dock, somehow still standing against the force of the water, as well as a small building off to one side. There's a patch of land marked out as a makeshift landing strip, though Kun had mentioned earlier during their takeoff that this particular style of plane could also land in the water.

The last thing Mark focuses on is the largest thing on the island; a tall white stone lighthouse. It's huge peak, reaching high into the skies above and even with the lights off, it's an intimidating sight.

"That's where we're going?" Johnny asks, obviously confused.

"This is the drop off point, yes." Kun explains. "Xuxi… Or, Yukhei is down there waiting. This is the easiest way into and out of the city."

Kun lands the plane with just as much skill as the takeoff earlier and he easily guides them through it. Mark's nerves are still a little shot by the time he's finally able to unbuckle and wiggle out of his seat.

Both he and Johnny get out on shaky legs, touching down on the wooden deck and watching in awe as the boat sways slightly with the water. Their pilot quickly helps them unpack their gear, a few men running out from what Mark assumed was some sort of boat house.

Kun quickly passes along the keys as he gives the men quiet instructions that they nod along to before setting to work. It's as he's pushing his hair out of his face, headphones falling from his head to around his neck, that Mark snaps a shot of him in front of the plane. It's a cool shot, the lighting illuminating the pilot from behind and highlighting the plane's gold paint perfectly.

Kun looks sheepish as he makes a surprised noise at the sound of the shutter. "Oh, I didn't know I'd be in the photos."

"Is that okay?" Mark is quick to ask, realizing he forgot to get permission from the pilot beforehand.

"Yeah… yeah, it's fine." Kun motions to the camera. "I'd like to see it sometime."

Mark is about to confirm that he'd love to show him after he develops them when a loud bang sounds from the lighthouse, the large dark wood doors slamming open with force. All three heads turn at the intrusion.

"Kun-ge are you back?" A loud voice shouts out and Mark watches as Kun rolls his eyes. He motions for them to follow as he strolls past, manuvering through the workers, and along the deck, quickly reaching the path leading to their destination.

The man standing in the doorway of the lighthouse when they make it up the stone steps is both tall and just as intimidating as the building itself. He's staring at them as they approach, sharp eyes focused on Kun at the front.

"Xuxi," Kun says as he approaches, "these are our guests, Johnny and Mark."

"Oh." In an instant the intimidating aura surrounding the man melts away to something much softer and child-like. His sharp gaze and intimidating set of his brows soften and he smiles wide at the two of them, giving them a small bow. "Hello! I'm Yukhei!"

Now that he's straightened up, Mark gets a better look at him. He's young as well, soft and smiley, with a pair of rounded glasses perched on his nose. His fluffy brown hair is styled pushed back out of his face, opening up his face and accentuating the sharp cut of his jaw.

He's leaning against the frame of the doorway now, a soft looking, dark blue button up tucked into black pants. He even has black suspenders stretching over the expanse of his broad chest and he smiles even wider as he catches Mark staring.

Mark quickly looks away and he notices Johnny laughing at him behind his hand before he too bows in Yukhei's direction.

"I'm Johnny and this is my cousin, Mark. We were invited on behalf of…"

"Oh, I know about the article!" Yukhei interrupts quickly. "We're all very excited about it, actually. I even, technically, got a day off working at the station to be here."

"The station?" Mark asks, a little confused.

"He can show you on the tour tomorrow, Mark." Kun says with a small shrug. "He'll probably drag you all over the city and talk your ear off the whole time, so be prepared." He turns to level Yukhei with an exasperated look. "We should get going. I have to check in yet and they have to unpack."

"Oh, yeah." It's Yukhei's turn to look sheepish as he waves them inside the lighthouse. "This way."

The inside of the lighthouse is nothing like Mark expected it would be, lacking the rope, tools, fishing gear, and dirt he imagined would be inside a lighthouse. Judging from the gasp he let's out as he grips at Mark's hand, neither did Johnny.

The main area is a large round room with clean polished stone floors, a symbol, the same one waxed onto their letter, etched in gold in the center. Along the walls of the room is a large metal staircase, circling it's way up, up, up. Probably to the main light. There's a comfortable looking seatong area off to one side. Off to the other is a set of double doors, thrown open to reveal another staircase, this one heading down, illuminated by bright lanterns hanging on the walls.

This is where Yukhei leads them, shiny shoes clicking against the polished flooring. The stairs open up into another brightly painted room, plaques lining the walls. Mark notes that this room smells strongly of ocean salt, soon noticing the large pod in the center of the room sitting in a small open pool of water.

"What's that?" Johnny asks, as Mark focuses on snapping a quick picture of the scene.

"This," Yukhei motions to the large metal contraption, "is what we call the Chariot. I believe the original name was Bathysphere in the original city, but Chariot just sounds so much cooler." He smiles as he moves to open the door for them, showing off the plush interior.

It's a circular metal pod, looking very much like a small.submarine, the door being made almost entirely of glass. The inside has a single row of comfortable looking seats lining the walls, a control panel stationed in the center.

Kun is already climbing in, pulling one of Johnny's bags with him, setting it on the plush green carpet, before plopping into a seat.

"The blueprints for these were found during an expedition to Rapture and Mr. Park, the man who funded the bulding of the new city, wanted to be as authentic as possible to our predecessor." Yukhei continues. 

He lets both Mark and Johnny climb aboard first, situating bags, before he climbs in as well, pulling the door shut behind him. The door closes with a hiss that makes Mark jump slightly. Their guide must notice because he smiles wide at Mark.

"Nothing to be worried about. Chariot is just making an air seal so that the door doesn't leak or crack from the pressure. Completely safe." He moves to take a seat at the center console, pulling a key on a golden thread from his pocket and turning it in the control panel. "Hold onto your butts."

The Chariot jerks to life then, slowly lowering into the water, making the interior go dark for a moment as they sink below the ocean's surface. When the soft light outside the door clicks on, a number of small fish dart away from them. The pod moves forward then, gliding through the water with a soft hum.

"The Chariot works as our mode of transportation, mainly." Yukhei explains, talking over the soft instrumental music that had started playing as soon as the lights clicked on. "We have footpaths and most people have bikes for going through the markets, but for long distances or between sections of the city, the Chariot is your best bet."

Slowly, as they move through the silent waters, the outline of buildings appear, lit up brightly in the darkness. As they get even closer, the inside of their pod takes on a number of varying colors, reflecting off of the neon signs, pinks and blues and greens, advertising places Mark can only imagine. Yukhei is doing his best to point things out to them as they move.

"That there is one of the waterways," he says, motioning to a long tunnel they pass under. "They're all foot traffic paths that you can use to explore."

The pod is starting to slow as it moves towards what looks like a large circular door cut into the side of the building's wall, lights glowing green along the outer edge. There's a large sign above the door that reads 'Welcome to Mt. Olympus' in large lettering.

As the Chariot approaches, another school of fish dart in front, just barely getting out of the way as the doors slide open, only long enough for the machine to enter before they slide shut again with a loud bang.

The lights of the Chariot shut off and soon the music fades out to silence as well. There's a loud whooshing sound as the water in the room is suctioned back out into the ocean and the doors at the top of a now exposed set of stairs opens.

Yukhei stands and smiles at his passengers as he undoes the seal on the glass door and allows it to swing open with a flourish.

"Welcome to Mt. Olympus," he mimics the sign. "This is the first stop on your journey through Elysium." He allows Kun to walk past him and up the stairs as he moves to help Johnny and Mark with the bag Kun left behind.

"He just doesn't want to hear my spiel." Yukhei jokes with a small pout. "We can get you signed in and then I'll take you to your lodging, let you settle in. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

They follow him up the stairs, Kun surprisingly lagging behind at the top waiting for them. He falls into step with Johnny and starts a quiet conversation with him that Mark can't quite make out. He decides to ignore it and focus on his surroundings.

Much to Mark's surprise, beyond the doors lies a massive room boasting being a welcome center. There's posters, pamphlets, and papers scattered over bulletin boards and across side tables. There's a row of kiosks on one end of the room, the soft chatter of the workers becoming background noise.

They head to the kiosks, stopping in front of a pretty blonde woman. After she takes a peek at their invitation, she takes down their names in her files. Soon she's flitting around behind her desk to gather a number of things and bringing them over to her desk.

"This here is a list of numbers to call and their corresponding situation. Pretty mich just basic emergency protocol." She says showing them a paper in a folder she's opened in front of Johnny. "This is a guide to the Bouncers. They work maintenance in locations our normal crew cannot go. It's really best to leave them be." She continues through a number of forms, Mark and Johnny nodding along before closing the folder with a snap.

"Last thing," she says with a grin. "This is a map of the city. It can be easy to get lost at first, so it's nice to have on hand. Have fun!"

With that, Yukhei takes them through a large archway out into the cobblestone streets. There's a number of people walking around in small groups, weaving around this way and that. The only give away that they are even at the bottom of the ocean is the occasional window, giving people a view of the sea life outside.

"Mt. Olympus is mainly just a giant welcome center. Most other businesses are in other parts of the city." Yukhei explains as he leads them past a large pretty garden with a number of seating areas. People are lounging around on picnic blankets and many of them are having an early dinner surrounded by a rainbow of flowers.

Mark snaps picture after picture of the people he sees and a number of other things; bikes leanes against lamp posts, pretty art done in chalk along the street, two people holdong hands illuminated by the lights of the rest of the city seen through thr tall windows. He even spots a cute, fluffy orange cat running amongst the bushes of the gardens.

"There's cats here?" He asks, fascinated by it all.

"Yeah, they brought in cats to make sure the pests that tend to come in with different shipments don't become a problem. Even under water there's rats apparently." Yukhei laughs with a shrug.

Mark makes a face at that, but he can't help but laugh when he notices Johnny's disgusted face at the thought of rats.

Before he knows it, Mark is standing outside of a large black stone building, the only one at the end of the main road from the Welcome Center.

"Here we are." Yukhei bounces a little as he talks. "Solaris will be your home away from home while you're here."

Mark's unsure if any of this will ever feel like home to him, like his and Johnny's messy cramped apartment. This all looks way too grand for them, stange in a way that he doesn't know how the people that live here have gotten used to. Johnny must agree as he reaches out to pull Mark close as they both stare up at the building before them.

It might be strange, but at least it seems like the city will be a fun experience.


	3. All Good Things

The doors to Solaris open with a mechanical swish, bringing with it the sweet smell of flowers and a smiling face from behind the reception desk. Yukhei immediately abandons them to stride over to the pretty boy behind the counter. Mark really can't blame him for it either.

The boy that greets them is all soft smiles, rounded eyes, full lips and cheeks, brown hair falling in gentle waves around his face. He has on an equally soft looking turtleneck, the black tag pinned to it claiming his name is Jungwoo.

He and Yukhei share a few quiet words and some pretty intimate looking touches. Mark feels like it's something he should not be witness to, something obviously between the two, but they both were aware they had company so he guessed they were comfortable with it.

"Hello, welcome to Solaris," Jungwoo says after he refocuses on them and his voice is equally as soft as what he seems. "How may I help you today?"

Johnny takes out the papers from their folder, trying to flip through to find the information about their accommodations, looking up confused when Yukhei reaches out to stop him.

"He's just messing with you."

"Huh?"

To his credit, Jungwoo gives them a sheepish smile and a tiny giggle. "You're the only non-Elysium guests we've had in a long while and my husband is your guide. I already know who you are." He searches around behind him for a moment before handing over a key. "Room 127, booked for one Johnny Suh."

Mark leans forward to take the key, while Johnny just stares at the receptionist.

"Does everyone here know who we are already?" He asks after another moment. Jungwoo just graces them with a comforting smile.

"Pretty much. There's not much gossip wise that doesn't get around the city. Especially so in places like Morpheus." Yukhei shrugs.

"What's Morpheus?" Mark asks, knowing all too well about how gossip works and not really bothered by the fact that people knew they weren't from the city. It would probably make both his and Johnny's time easier and not be seen as some random dude with a camera or asking questions to strangers.

Yukhei grins wide as if he's ready to explain, but it's Jungwoo that speaks up before he gets the chance, setting a hand on his husband's arm at the instant pout he receives.

"Morpheus is one of the busier sections of the city. It's more of the night scene here in Elysium. Lots of clubs and parties, but you can find some good performances and really good food too." He smiles as he moves to lean both elbows on the desk, chin resting in his palms. "There's supposed to be a show later tonight that some of our friends will be attending if you're interested."

"Is that the one Kun was telling me about on our way here? Dream something?" Johnny says while trying and struggling to place his papers back in his bag.

The look the Yukhei and Jungwoo pass between each other does not go unnoticed, especially so by Mark. There's obviously something they're trying to sort out between the two of them first. It only lasts a short moment, but it was still enough to have Mark's brain buzzing with questions.

"I didn't know Kun-ge was planning on going out tonight. Normally he skips out." Yukhei settles on saying. There's a slight dip between his brows, obviously still working out why his friend was making the trip to an apparent nightclub.

"You know who must be making an appearance." Jungwoo mutters mostly to himself, smile falling for a moment before he's grinning again and waving off Mark's obvious need to ask for clarification. "Well, if you're feeling up to it, we can meet here around," he pauses to check the watch glittering on his thin wrist, "6:30?"

"If it means anything, cocktail hour starts at 7:00 and we know the bartender. Free drinks." Yukhei adds with a wave of his hands. That seems to convince Johnny, who nods along enthusiastically.

"We wouldn't miss it."

The details squared away, Mark and Johnny separate from their tour guide who, when Mark looks back at him, is hip to hip with Jungwoo. They're whispering to one another, sharing light touches and soft giggles. It makes Mark smile even though he's only just met them, seeing the two so obviously wrapped up in one another's company.

He turns back to follow his cousin, who bypasses the intricate swirling steps to the upper floors and is pressing the glowing orange button for the glitzy elevator. The doors open swiftly, barely any wait between the time they pressed the button and the lift's arrival, and they step in to take the short ride to their assigned floor.

Room 127 was just as large and lavish as Solaris would imply. The room was painted a soft blue,   
beautifully intricate designs swirled around in golden hues. Oddly similar to how Kun's plane was decorated.

A large bed took up the center of the room, draped in white and cream blankets and pillows that Mark just wanted to leap into to see if they were as soft as they looked. There was an equally plush looking emerald colored couch off to one side with what looked like a well stocked mini-bar cart sitting nearby. A sturdy desk and a tall closet off to the other side of the bed. There was even a door just off the main entrance that Mark guessed was a private bathroom.

The most impressive thing about their room though was that one whole wall was glass, looking out into the dark waters and casting swirling shadows to fall over the whole room.

Johnny lets out a soft "woah" as he drops their bags on the floor and flops face first into the bed, Mark making a beeline for the windows to check out the view. Johnny rolls onto his side, watching his cousin before he gets up and follows behind closely, watching as someone in a very heavy looking suit walks around on the ocean floor below them, a glowing tool in their hand. Each step causes a cloud of sand to rise around the person - or things - booted feet.

"This is insane." Mark says softly, a small laugh bubbling up out of his chest as he taps the glass with his finger. He steps back and quickly swings his camera up, glancing through the viewfinder at his cousin. "Smile."

Johnny quickly does a silly pose, smiling wide as the picture takes. The flash glints off of the gold moon shaped chandelier hanging from the ceiling, capturing Mark's attention as he takes a few more photos of the room and the view of the rest of Elysium from their window. A whole underwater world made of neon and metal they would soon get to explore freely.

Kun was right, so far Mark was absolutely loving the city.

The two of them settle in quickly, moving their clothes into the wardrobe and their toiletries into the massive bathroom. Johnny already has all of his papers and notes spread out over the desk, claiming the space for himself. Mark settles onto the soft couch to sort out his gear as well.

It seems like they both only blinked before there's a loud knock on their door and Johnny is quickly moving to open it. Jungwoo enters like a storm, a flurry of motion and activity, while Yukhei follows slowly, a smile on his face the whole time.

"I know I said we'd meet in the lobby, but I forgot that there's a dress code for the club and I wasn't sure what clothes you brought with you." Jungwoo says as he examines both Mark and Johnny's attire. "Surface fashion isn't exactly in style down here." He clarifies as he lays out a number of shirts across the bed.

Jungwoo turns on Johnny first, holding up a black turtleneck sweater to the man's broad chest. He must be happy with his choice because he nods before handing the article of clothing, along with a pair of black pants to him and shoo-ing him off to the bathroom to change.

"Is he always like this?" Mark asks Yukhei, who has settled onto the couch beside him, glancing curiously over his camera equipment.

Yukhei sits back, a dreamy smile crossing his face as he watches his husband fiddle with another shirt from his pile.

"He likes meeting new people and obviously not many new people show up here. And I think he's really excited to show you guys the club." He pauses for a moment before turning a kind smile on Mark. "Thank you for humoring him. I know he… we can come on a little strong."

Mark's reply turns into a muffled yelp as small but firm hands find his own and pull him up so he's standing in front of Jungwoo. A black undershirt is shoved into his hands and soon enough a white dress shirt has joined it.

Jungwoo ushers Mark into the bathroom as Johnny comes out, dressed in the receptionist's outfit choice and Mark lets out a little whistle as he passes. His cousin's ears immediately turn red and he gives Mark a half-hearted glare at the obvious poking. 

Mark has to admit though, Jungwoo had worked some magic on his cousin. He's apparently not done though, urging Johnny to sit in the desk chair so he can mess with his hair.

Mark makes his way into the bathroom, all shining white tiles and gold accents. He turns away from the large mirror as he strips quickly, pulling on the black pants he was given and tucking in both the undershirt and the dress shirt. He secures it all with a belt that had found its way into his arms. When he's done he turns and gives himself a once over.

He has to admit, it looks good all put together. Somehow the receptionist had known exactly what sizes to grab for the two of them. The clothes fit well, accentuating Mark's body in a way that makes his best features stand out. Small waist, strong shoulders, nice proportions overall.

When he emerges from the bathroom he too is quickly sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It's okay if I fix your hair, right?" Jungwoo asks, poised with a comb in hand.

"Of course." Mark smiles softly, remembering what Yukhei had said earlier. "Thanks for the help." Jungwoo's grin brightens impossibly more as he goes about fixing marks hair, gelled back away from his face, as well as smudging a small amount of makeup over his lids and around his eyes.

When they're finally done, Yukhei and Jungwoo who are also dressed up to the receptionist's standards and ready to go, Mark sets up his camera for a quick group shot in front of the glass windows. The timer goes off as the four of them pose, shouting out a quick "Cheese!"

"This is so exciting!" Jungwoo cheers as he bounces around inside the elevator, dragging them out as soon as the doors open again to the main lobby. He swings his arms, linked with Mark's as he's waiting for Yukhei to stash their bag behind the main counter with the new receptionist on staff, a soft looking girl who waves at them on their way out.

Soon enough they're out onto the main street of Mt. Olympus again. Mark notes as the doors of Solaris close behind them that the main area is much more quiet and deserted than it had been earlier in the day. 

The lights high above that mimic the passing of the sun have dimmed considerably, little twinkle lights wrapped around the trees and foliage of the park glimmering brightly instead. The ocean view along the wall is darker, more mysterious looking without full visibility of schools of fish and brightly colored corals. Mark can only assume that the sun above is also setting.

They follow Yukhei to a series of doors off to one side of the path, all metal and with pretty designs of winged angels on them. Jungwoo points out that they're deities when he notices Mark's interest and explains that they actually represent each location that the footpath behind them leads to.

The door they end up in front of is made of dark metal, a pretty carving of a young man splayed out against a pile of pillows, a crown of flowers threatening to fall from his wild curls, etched into it. 

He has a pair of soft looking feathered wings folded against his back and has what appears to be a litany of different leaves and flowers draped over his exposed body, keeping him as modest as possible while still showing off a fair bit of skin. The carving stands out against the door thanks to the silver paint highlighting the delicate carving, the lights above making it shimmer softly.

Mark can't help but reach out to touch the soft lines, letting his fingers trace over a wing. Jungwoo grins as he settles against Mark's side, watching him closely.

"Our friend, Renjun, painted most of the door murals in this part of Elysium." He says softly, affection and admiration for whoever this Renjun was clear in his voice.

"He's very talented." Mark murmurs, still mesmerized by the soft curves and lines.

"He actually modeled a few of them after his close friends. This one is supposed to be Morpheus." Yukhei adds, playful lilt to his voice that Mark almost misses. "Ironic because it's the section of the city that doesn't really sleep."

He doesn't understand the implications of what Yukhei says then, but Mark does realize that, between Jungwoo's affection and Yukhei's playfulness, that this city offers way more than just an insane feat of architecture. Of brick and metal and stone built where it seemed impossible to exist. It was a collection of hard work, memories, of lovingly built advances to make a city at the bottom of the ocean a home to these people.

Yukhei doesn't let him sink into his thoughts for too long though, stepping onto the pressure plate in front of the doors to open them with a soft swish, painting disappearing before Mark's eyes.

Johnny shoots ahead of them, marveling at the walkway. It's a full tunnel of metal and glass, giving them an almost 360 degree view of the still waters around them. The lights from Morpheus up ahead spill into the tunnel in intoxicating swirls of neon pinks and greens and blues.

Mark has never seen the northern lights in anything other than the pictures of his school books, but right now, in that moment, he bet the view would put them to shame.

Their footsteps echo in the glass tunnel as they walk quietly, taking in the sights. The silence almost puts Mark on edge, a tingling sensation buzzing just under his skin, making him more and more jittery the closer they get.

A few men and women are hanging around the door to Morpheus, dressed in suits and beautifully beaded dresses that makes Mark feel like he's been thrown back in time. Like one of the older films his father loved so much, but put Mark to sleep as a child, cheek pressed firmly into their carpeted floor.

They look up at the group's approach, a chorus of greetings meets Mark's ears and he watches as people reach out to shake hands with Yukhei and give Jungwoo soft hugs. There's excited chatter that Mark can't seem to keep up with.

The doors open, letting in a gust of smoke scented air. With it comes Kun, baggy work clothes swapped for a well fitted pair of dark pants and red shirt, black waistcoat pulling it all together. Beside him is another man, probably one of the most beautiful people Mark has seen thus far, and that's saying something with both Jungwoo and Yukhei being with them.

The newcomer is dressed in a black beaded dress, cut short at just above his knees, black suit jacket embroidered with roses hanging off of his slim shoulders. White gold pearls hang from his neck, dangling just above his barely exposed collarbones. He's slim, but there's still a noticeable amount of muscle and strength underneath. He's pretty too, face feline and absolutely stunning, dark smokey makeup accentuating his eyes and glitter accentuating high cheeks.

Mark accidentally makes eye contact with him then, caught in his staring. Dark feline-like eyes trace him up and down and his soft lips turn up in a smile.

"Ten!" Jungwoo calls excitedly, breaking the intense eye contact the stranger had with Mark.

"Jungwoo, Yukhei." His voice is a soft lilt. He steps forward, shoes clicking off of the metal flooring as he gives Jungwoo a tight hug. "Kun and I were just coming to see if we could meet you and walk with you to the club." He pauses, eyeing Johnny and then focusing back in on Mark. "I see you have company though."

"Ah, Ten, this is Johnny and Mark. They're the ones here for that story everyone is talking about." Yukhei says, taking control of the introductions. "Guys, this is Ten."

"Charmed." Ten practically purrs, shifting the coat on his shoulders and smiling a little wider.

Kun clears his throat, breaking whatever weird atmosphere had settled over the group, pointing to the door when he's got their attention. Mark notices then that a lot of the people who were milling around earlier had cleared out.

"Ready to go? It's almost showtime?"

Mark expected Morpheus to be grand, but even he didn't expect the sight he was greeted with when the doors opened.

This part of the city was all low buildings, packed closely together, wide stone walkways lined in vines and backlit in pinks and reds. Small stands stood along the paths offering a number of fresh made foods and glowing drinks, as well as an assortment of other things. The air smelled of sweet tobacco and perfume.

People packed close together, moving in mass through stands and in and out of buildings. Soft instrumental music played through the air as each door opened. Everyone seemed to be dressed to the nines, passing by in blurs of jeweled hands and manicured faces.

Their vastly growing group made its way into the crowd of people, passing benches hidden away in hidden alcoves where Mark swears he caught a number of couples trading sweet and not so sweet and innocent kisses.

Mark is almost dizzy within the flurry of activity, senses overwhelmed, and he has to reach out a sweaty hand to grip the back of Kun's shirt to not get lost. The pilot doesn't seem to mind though, reaching back to grip onto Mark's arm and pulling him against his side, arms linked.

It's all very different from the life of the city that Mark is used to. Yes, the city was fast paced, loud, and sometimes hard to digest, but Mark had grown up in that environment. He thrived on the high energy most of the time and when he needed a moment to slow down he hid away at home. Nobody really missed him for it because the city was a place where people could just disappear if they wanted. Could blend into the chaos.

The city could be cold and lonely at times, if Mark was being honest.

Morpheus though. Morpheus felt like a heartbeat. Like this part of the city was alive and that everyone there worked together to keep it going. People chatted and talked as if everyone knew everyone. Acted as if this place, with all its underlying tension and heat, was a place where everyone came together as one being.

Mark tries to take in more of the sights, though it was hard to concentrate without his camera to hide behind. Jungwoo had convinced him last minute just to experience Morpheus without it first. Just for tonight.

Now he wasn't sure if that was such a good idea.

Lost in his thoughts he didn't notice that Kun had come to a stop, almost stumbling into the man, though Kun is quick to catch him. Mark shoots him an apologetic smile.

"Overwhelmed?" Kun has to semi-yell over the noise in the street. Mark just nods, pressing in closer to the pilot to avoid being pushed around by the still moving crowd.

"Things will be calmer inside." Ten says from behind them, leaning in close to Mark, making him jump slightly from their closeness. The smaller man must notice the blush high on Mark's cheeks because he winks at him before slipping around him and entering the building Johnny and the others had already disappeared inside.

Kun tugs him along, changing his grip from his arm to linking their fingers together. An intimate gesture for someone that Mark had met earlier in the day, but for whatever reason he was glad for it. The contact helping ground his racing mind.

Inside, the club was simply a large rectangular room, lined on one side by dark booths and a long bar on the other. It was dimly lit, soft yellow lighting coming from the bar and from the sign above the elevated stage in the center of the room boasting the club's name, Once Upon A Dream. The stage sat surrounded by a number of small tables and comfortable looking chairs.

Many of the seats at the bar were occupied, a number of the patrons smoking, the air above them curling with streaks of grey. Many of the booths were also occupied with small parties of people, talking softly. The loudest noise in the whole place seemed to be the clicking of glasses and the small band taking up the center stage.

Kun walks them up to the bar, Johnny already taking one of the empty stools. Yukhei is leaning over the counter waving down the bartender on the other end of the bar.

When he's finished serving the other patrons, he slides up to them, an adorably cute half- moon eye smile on display. It makes him look too young to be in a bar, but his strong build and professional attire hint at him being closer to Mark's own age.

"Hey guys, what can I get you?"

"Jeno, hi. Can we get a round of whatever special you have today, please? And whatever Ten normally gets. He's grabbing us a booth before the show." Jungwoo asks, now sitting in Yukhei's lap.

"Sure." And with that the young bartender is flitting around behind the bar, efficiently taking a number of bottles and mixing up a shimmery green drink that he sets out in front of each of them.

Yukhei thanks him, moving away from the bar, but not before promises of meeting at the end of his shift are exchanged.

They find Ten at a booth in the back corner of the club, chatting calmly with two other boys. One is animatedly talking, hands moving as fast as his words, while the other sits back, calmly watching the exchange and adding a few remarks here and there.

Mark quickly learns that the energetic one is named Jaemin, a dancer who works with Ten at another club a few nights a week. The other is Renjun, the talented painter and artist that had already captured Mark's attention with his work.

"I saw your Morpheus painting." He says, a little while after introductions are passed around and Mark has settled into the booth beside Renjun. "It was beautiful." Renjun smiles behind his drink, taking a small sip before answering.

"Thank you." He pauses a moment, delicate fingers tapping the glass tabletop. "You're a photographer, right?" Mark nods.

"Yeah. I worked for a small publication before this, but I'm hoping that my time here will help more people see my photos." He explains. Renjun nods along, asking a few questions here and there.

After a short amount of surprisingly easy conversation the lights in the club dim, and with it the sound of voices do too.

On stage is a black piano, Mark had been so caught up in chatting he hadn't even noticed it being brought out. A young man with shocking orange hair is sitting in front of it, but even as he places his fingers on the keys the spotlight doesn't focus on him.

If Mark had thought Ten was stunning, the man at the microphone is an angel on Earth.

He's dressed simply, high waisted black pants that flare a little at the ankles, white sweater with sleeves cropped at the forearm, white and gold shawl hanging from his elbows to pool on the stage at his feet. His hair is a mess of soft brown curls, framing golden skin speckled with a constellation of freckles and highlighted in glittery makeup. 

Dark eyes sweep over the club's crowd, seeming to settle on the farthest corner of the room. Mark's corner. And Mark can't help but to still, breath caught in his chest at the sheer intensity he sees there.

"He was my inspiration for Morpheus." Renjun whispers softly as the piano starts and the singer opens his mouth to sing.


	4. Praise to the Songbird

_"Stars shining bright above you.  
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you."  
Birds singing in the sycamore tree.  
Dream a little dream of me."_

The hairs on Mark's arms raise at the first note, the voice of the man on stage soft and steady. It seems to hold a power over the entire audience, not a single noise permeating the air as he sings, even the backing piano failing to shine above the strong voice of the man in the spotlight.

Mark can't seem to look away either, to check the reactions of the people around him at the table. To see if they too are as enchanted as he is in this moment.

He watches in awe as the singer closes his eyes, long lashes resting against tanned cheeks. His hands gripped tightly to the mic, which he tips closer to himself, chest heaving as he continues.

_"Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me.  
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me.  
While I'm alone and blue as can be.  
Dream a little dream of me."_

It's all very fitting, Mark thinks. The song choice, the place they're in, the dreamy atmosphere that has settled over the club. It speaks volumes of the hypnotic power the man on stage has, lulling them all into a state of semi-awareness with nothing more than his voice.

In the back of his mind, Mark realizes that the alcohol is probably partly to blame. The fruity taste of his own cocktail still sits strongly on the back of his tongue, but he's quicker to believe a siren is in their midst than to admit any level of intoxication.

He can see now why Renjun used this man as his model for Morpheus. He wasn't just a beautiful face, but he held a magic in him. It's visible in the way his nose scrunches up slightly as he softly inhales to start the next line or the way his body sways slightly side to side a little as he exhales a stronger note.

What Mark wouldn't give to be just a little closer to the stage, but that would mean breaking the spell, the moment, and disturbing the air of awed content that settled over them all.

_"Stars fading but I linger on, dear.  
Still craving your kiss.  
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear.  
Just saying this.  
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you.  
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.  
But in your dreams whatever they be.  
Dream a little dream of me."_

The song comes to an end all too soon for Mark's liking, the piano fading out slowly as the man on stage ends the last line with a soft fondness in his voice that speaks volumes.

His eyes are open again, focused in on their corner of the room once more, and Mark wonders for a moment if the song was meant for anyone here. Was it possible that it was Renjun, maybe? He did admit to using the man on stage as a muse, painting him in the likeness of a god.

As the music ends and the pianist rises from his seat, turning to the audience to give a little bow, a loud eruption of cheers and whistles erupt through the club. The table Mark is at is by far the loudest, but it seems even the bartender, Jeno, is getting in on cheering on the two people on stage.

The singer dips his head in an appreciative bow, sweeping the shawl around him as he moves down the three steps from the stage to the main floor. If Mark was being more poetic and honest with himself, he might even admit they looked sort of like wings dragging behind him. Angelic.

A number of people in black uniforms swarm the stage, moving the piano and replacing it with items for the next act. The boy with the orange hair also bounds down the stage steps and makes a beeline for their little table in the back, waving at the group, Jaemin twisting in his seat to wave back.

He stops for a moment to whisper something in the singer's ear, who had stopped at another table close to the stage where a single person was sat. Mark can't make out much about them from where he's positioned, only getting a view of the back of their head.

Their exchange is short lived, Chenle, Mark believes the pianist's name is, having overheard Jaemin talking, nods at whatever reply he received before making his way through the maze of seating towards them. Mark continues to watch the singer with interest, noting how even as his mouth turns downward, obviously displeased by whatever his seated acquaintance is saying, he still looks intimidatingly beautiful.

His line of sight is blocked though as the orange haired musician strides up to their table, grabbing a random drink and taking a swig.

Jungwoo gives him a disgusted look, nose wrinkling in distaste at the same time that Yukhei laughs loudly. Their group is getting increasingly more noisy and it's starting to draw stares from nearby patrons.

"You could have just waited for Jeno to bring you your own, Lele." Jungwoo chides. "He does every night you play."

Chenle shrugs, downing the rest of Jungwoo's pink drink in one go before smiling at the group.

"And what fun is that, hyung?"

Even as the younger boy and the receptionist bicker, the group shuffles to make room for him to sit. Chenle sinks down into the plush bench, elbows resting on the table as he ignores whatever jab Renjun was attempting to throw at him, having come to Jungwoo's defence. He turns his gaze on Mark instead and then slowly to Johnny, too busy talking to Ten to take notice.

The boy seems to think something over before giving up and muttering a soft "Whatever." He turns his attention on Kun, who had been sitting quietly since before the music had even begun to play.

"He wants to see you after closing, hyung." Chenle says, the mischief in his eyes from teasing Jungwoo gone now. He's all seriousness and Mark notes that many of the others around the table have gone quiet.

Whatever news the younger boy had just dropped on him doesn't seem to ruffle Kun's patient exterior much. Though, out of the corner of his eye, Mark swears he saw Ten flinch at Chenle's voice. Kun just nods calmly, as if he was expecting the news, downing the remainder of his own drink and patting at his lips with the sleeve of his shirt, little regard for the soft fabric.

Kun's gaze is firmly set on where the pair had previously been speaking in front of the stage and Mark is reminded of what Jungwoo had said earlier about Kun only joining them on their night out because of someone else's attendance. He supposes that this may be said "You know who" and he wonders for a moment if he asks Jungwoo later on about it all if he'll get an actual answer or a dismissal.

It seemed to be a little personal, whatever was going on with the pilot, and these people didn't really know Mark personally. They probably never really would with him only being in Elysium for a week. Even if they were being kind enough to show them a good time around the city. Would it be too soon to pry into whatever dramatics was going on within the friend group? Probably.

The topic is quickly dropped as not one, but two additional bodies make their way to the table. Jeno, a tray of food and drinks in hand. His work apron is no longer tied around his waist, abandoned back on the bar for someone else to put away. The singer is there too, standing just behind the bartender. His shawl jingles a little at his approach, little bells sewn on amongst the beaded embroidery.

With little coaxing, the group reshuffles again, pulling a few extra chairs from nearby to make room for the newcomers. It's like an unspoken reflex to make a space for whoever may join them; an open invitation to all. Another reason for Mark to wonder if this place really does turn people into one being, all working together perfectly with little communication needed.

As soon as the tray is set in the middle of the table the group descends on it, drinks being passed out to those whose cups were empty and food disappearing at an alarming rate. As much as Mark would have loved to spend more time staring at "Morpheus" his stomach gives out an embarrassingly loud rumble at the smell of food.

He hadn't eaten before the flight, not having time to grab anything, and everything since they landed in the city was a flurry of activity. His hunger had just gone forgotten until now.

The noise earns him a chorus of giggles and a sheepish look from Yukhei. "I am so sorry! I completely forgot you guys might be hungry!"

Johnny is quick to put Yukhei at ease, reminding their tour guide that they were perfectly capable of grabbing food for themselves. Eating had just been a secondary thought while digesting the city sights and meeting with such interesting people.

There's a flash of golden skin and pale pink painted nails, and Mark finds a plate of finger foods in front of him. He looks up to a sweet smile before the singer is turning to talk to Renjun.

"Aw, Haechannie, what about me?" Ten playfully whines at the man, earning a raised eyebrow and thinned lips.

"You're very capable of handling yourself, hyung. He," the singer tips his head in Mark's direction, "looks like a little lost lamb."

"Hey!" Mark can't help but bristle a little at that. He was grateful for the food, yes, but he was far from a lost lamb in need of a saviour. His pride refused to accept the taunting. Dark eyes turn back to him and the smile is back on the man's face.

"He speaks." A wider smile now, crinkling his eyes at the corners. It's cute. "What should I call you then, lamb?"

"Mark. My name is Mark Lee."

He's pouting, he knows he is. Can feel the expression molding his own features. He's also probably playing into a game, something about the glint in the other's eyes just promising a world a teasing, but he can't help himself. "And you, what should I address you as?" Mark bites out.

 _"Other than Morpheus."_ His brain unhelpfully supplies.

"They call me Haechan around here. Full Sun." he pauses, running the tip of his pink tongue against his bottom lip. Mark can't help but watch the movement before catching himself. The look Haechan gives Mark is practically predatory and Mark has to fight the shiver that runs through his body to hide the effect it has on him from the other man. "But since you are acquainted with my friends, you can call me Donghyuck."

"We'll, thank you, Donghyuck," Mark says slowly, burying the thought that the name tastes as sweet as his drink, "but I am no lamb." He takes a rather aggressive bite of a piece of grilled shrimp, chewing grumpily.

The lilting laugh his actions earn him almost makes the whole encounter worth it. Almost.

"Oh, it's going to be fun having you around." Donghyuck says simply before moving to gather himself and standing. "Sorry my visit was brief, boys, but I have other business to attend to tonight."

"Wait, you're leaving early?" Jaemin protests, looking back and forth between Donghyuck and Jeno, as he too stands from his seat. The look Renjun gives the singer speaks of surprise as well, but he says nothing.

"We'll see you tomorrow, okay Nana?" Jeno says softly, patting the other man's cheeks in an attempt to rid him of the pout that has made its way onto his handsome face.

"You didn't even eat with us." Jaemin tries, holding onto Jeno's sleeve in an attempt to keep him there longer.

"It's okay, Jen." Donghyuck interrupts with a wave of his hand. "Stay. I can make it home by myself tonight." He looks around the table then, giving them all a smile.

It's Kun who stands next, moving from his seat to stand behind the singer, hooking his chin over Donghyuck's shoulder. "I'll take him. You can stay and have some more fun. But not too much fun." He gives Jaemin a pointed look, though his tone says light.

"Kun, you're amazing!" Jaemin says excitedly, pulling Jeno back down into his chair and fawning over him. "It's been so long since you've been able to stay out. Weeks! If I didn't know any better I'd think you were Hyuckie's boyfriend instead of mine."

Donghyuck turns then, dislodging Kun from his spot and turning to level Mark with a stare. "Good night, Mark Lee. Pleasant dreams."

And just as quickly as Donghyuck had stormed into Mark's new little underwater world, he walks out, nothing more than a trail of perfume and the music of bells left in his wake.

Kun gives Johnny a nod amongst the numerous goodbyes, placing a hand on Mark's shoulder with a quick goodbye. Then he too, if following Donghyuck out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the others because it originally was supposed to be a part of chapter three. I split it to give Hyuck more of a time to shine, while also shoving quite a lot of plot moving stuff in amongst everything else.
> 
> The song at the beginning is Doris Day's "Dream a Little Dream of Me."
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Would You Kindly

_At first he's in a garden, colorful flowers swaying in the soft breeze around his bare feet. He takes a moment to wiggle his toes in the green grass. The bright sun shines down on his exposed skin, comfortably warm. He can hear birds chirping somewhere in the distance, though he cannot see any in the skies nor sitting in the foliage around him. It's a familiar tune that Mark can't quite seem to put his finger on._

_There's a soft hand in his, squeezing gently as their arms sway. Mark doesn't even need to turn his head to know he'll see sun-kissed skin, pouty lips, a crinkled eye smile. He smiles to himself as he looks upwards instead, watching fluffy white clouds move lazily across the expanse of blue._

_He blinks slowly and opens his eyes to an empty "Once Upon A Dream." Jeno is missing from behind the bar, the booths clear of glasses and plates of food, almost all of the individual tables missing from around the stage except for one. It sits directly in front of the microphone, the only thing on the raised platform._

_Mark startles at the sound of a thud. It comes from somewhere farther back in the club, towards where he guesses the dressing rooms are. He didn't really take notice of the curtained doorway when he was there before. He takes cautious steps towards it, the hardwood cold against his still bare feet._

_Taking a calming breath, he pushes the curtain back, following a spiraling metal staircase to the bottom. There's only a single room. It is small, lit only by the lights on the vanity mirror against the far wall. There's no makeup on the surface though, no clutter of costumes or instruments in the room at all actually._

_As Mark steps closer his reflection shifts. It's no longer his own face staring back in the mirror, his sharp jaw and soft cheeks and dark cropped hair. The image the mirror reflects is familiar, just like the birdsong, silver lines making flowers and feathers and wild curls. Again, he can't quite figure out where he's seen it before._

_Pink painted hands find their way around his waist, traveling up his stomach, dragging his white tee shirt higher and higher, exposing more of his torso as they go. Fingertips scorch his skin as they travel from his navel, slowly up, up, up, stopping to trace shapes along his collar. There's lips pressed to the nape of his neck and Mark can't help the soft gasp he lets out or the shiver that wracks through his body at the touch._

_His gasp turns into a breathy moan as the hands stop their exploration, settling on his chest. The nail of one thumb tweaks a pert nipple as the warm body behind him shifts slightly to bite down on the exposed skin of his shoulder where his shirt has slid down._

_Mark whimpers from the contact, feeling his body warm at the attention as the hand trails farther south, toying with his belt. He closes his eyes, to gain back some semblance of control or to give in to the sensation, he's not entirely sure. The person's other hand, free from teasing and roaming, comes up to wrap around Mark's throat. He tips his head back to give them room and he feels them squeeze slightly._

_Their grip gets tighter, more brave, and after a moment Mark feels dizzy. From the contact, from the heavy perfume in the air, or maybe from the fact that the person's grip gets even tighter, not letting go._

_Mark suddenly can't breathe. He tries to call out to them to stop, and when no sound comes out he's quickly turning in the other's grip, trying to break free. He desperately needs to take a breath, chest getting tight and panic starting to set in. Mark's mind is buzzing, eyes flying open to see if he can identify his attacker in the mirror. All he sees is water._

_He's surrounded by deep blue and he's sinking fast. His arms and legs feel like lead, unable to swim to the surface. To breach the waves high above who's churning and rocking motions don't even reach as far down as he is. Mark opens his mouth to scream, fear overtaking the rational thought to hold his breath. His eyes sting, he inhales and he tastes salt. He feels it in his lungs. The world goes black._

Mark wakes with a start, inhaling lung-fulls of perfectly cool air as he thrashes against the silky sheets twisted around his body. His head is pounding and his vision swims as he slides off the edge of the bed, landing in a heap of limbs and fabric on the hotel floor.

He lays there still for a few quiet moments, eyes shut tight, chest heaving as his panic and nausea settle to a more bearable level. At least if he sits up now he's less likely to leave a green, alcohol scented stain on the nice flooring.

Mark runs a clammy hand over his face, pushing sweaty bangs away from his eyes. He blinks a few times to settle the fuzziness in the corners of his vision before shakily patting down his body, checking himself over.

At some point he had changed himself into a tee shirt and a pair of shorts. Or, his mind supplies, someone could have helped him change. Both articles of clothing are now covered in a cold sweat and sticking to his skin uncomfortably. He really wants to change and maybe a shower. That need gets worse when he shifts and realizes that the wet patch on the front of his shorts is very much not sweat and is quickly drying against his abdomen.

Embarrassment floods through him as memories of the first half of his dream come back. Memories of curious hands and daring touches. Mark can feel himself blush the whole way to his ears and decides cleaning up is better than waiting around for someone to find him like some sort of teenager during his first wet dream.

He rolls on his side, slowly working himself to his knees and using the edge of the bed for support as he pulls himself to his feet. Mark's still shaking, but it's better than it had been upon waking from his dream. He gathers his will and stumbles off towards the bathroom, grimacing at the state of his body.

It's last minute, as he's pushing the bathroom door open, the sound of soft snores coming from within, that Mark notices Johnny's large body isn't taking up the other half of the bed. The couch also sits empty and untouched.

His brow furrowed in confusion, he makes his way into the bathroom, spying his cousin's large body taking residence in the hotel room's large bathtub. Both of his long legs are tossed over the sides of the tub, while his arms are tucked in close to his chest, head tilted towards the ceiling.

Mark stands there for a moment, taking in the sight and trying not to laugh and wake his cousin. Johnny looks ridiculous and Mark isn't quite sure how he even got there in the first place. He can't really remember much from the night before, at least not much after Donghyuck and Kun had left the club.

There was some whispered talk amongst the friends, something about Kun going to meet up with someone and Donghyuck acting stranger than usual. Mark had tried to toe the subject, briefly asking Jungwoo about it when they had both gone to the bathroom, but he had shut down any talk of the pilot and the singer, instead going on about some sort of special drink Jeno made he just had to try.

That was the beginning of Mark's downfall. He was served cocktail after cocktail and the memories of the rest of the night gradually became more and more hazy. He thinks he remembers Yukhei giving him some water at one point though. From the looks of it, Johnny didn't fare any better. He did have Ten and Jaemin pushing drinks at him all night and those two were, well, persuasive and definitely not lightweights.

Mark moves to sit on the edge of the tub, in between Johnny's legs, ignoring the way his clothes shifted at the movement. He taps Johnny's leg, rolling his eyes when that doesn't work to wake his cousin. He tries again, pinching where his knee bends when his second attempt proves fruitless as well.

Johnny starts, legs pulling inwards and kicking Mark as he sits up in the tub, unfocused eyes scanning Mark and then the bathroom.

"Wha- happened?" Johnny slurs out, reaching up to wipe drool off his chin.

"We got shitfaced and somehow you fell asleep in the tub." Mark answers. His voice is scratchy from sleep and his slowly fading hangover.

"Oh." Is all the response Mark gets before Johnny is curling up again like he's going to go back to sleep, finding himself in their tub apparently not a concern. It reminds Mark of what he was told of Johnny's school days, of wild parties he attended where on more than one occasion he found himself sleeping in a random field on the edge of the city limits. He guesses compared to that, a tub is mild.

Mark pushes those thoughts aside and hurries to fight Johnny, slapping at his arms and chest to keep him even semi-coherent. "Don't! Go sleep in the bed!"

It takes some work, but Mark eventually gets Johnny up, wobbling a little as he climbs over the edge of the tub. He helps him carefully maneuver to the bed, allowing the taller man to flop face first into the soft mattress. Mark waits to make sure Johnny has fallen back to sleep - immediately dead to the world again as his body hits the bed.

He's sweating again when he finally gets back to the bathroom, stripping himself of his nasty clothes and turning the water on as hot as he can handle. The spray from the shower feels like heaven on his skin and he makes quick work of scrubbing himself clean, ignoring any lingering thoughts of wandering hands and tanned skin.

When he's done he quickly brushes his teeth to rid his mouth of the stale taste of alcohol and gets to work drying his hair with a towel. He checks the time on his watch, sitting abandoned on the couch, noticing he still has time to make it down to breakfast.

He dresses quickly in comfortable clothes, making a mental note to save a plate for Johnny and maybe find something for the headache Mark already has and Johnny is sure to wake up with. He makes it out into the hallway, combing through his hair with his fingers when he spots a familiar figure waiting in front of the elevator.

Kun's back is to him, but Mark is sure that it's him. Especially so since he's still wearing what he had worn out the night before. As the elevator doors open and Kun steps inside, turning to hit the button, Mark notes that his hair is a mess and his clothes aren't nearly as crisp as they had been.

Mark can recognize a walk of shame when he sees one and Kun must notice it too, making eye contact with Mark. Despite the obvious embarrassment, a blush coloring Kun's cheeks, he puts a hand on the doors to hold the elevator as Mark takes the last few steps before sliding in next to the pilot. They don't say anything as the doors slide shut, as the lift makes its way to the first floor, or even as they pass a ruffled looking Jungwoo waving to them from the main desk.

"Come to breakfast with me?" Mark asks, finally breaking the silence as he points to the dining area just off the main lobby. He watches whatever silent debate Kun has in his head work itself out, before the pilot nods slowly.

They settle at a table in front of the windows, allowing Mark to stare out at the ocean life as he waits. For what, he's not entirely sure. The smell of bacon and coffee sits heavy in the air and the sounds coming from the kitchen make for a calming backdrop. A young server steps up to their table, bringing tall glasses of water and pouring cups of coffee before he's skittering off to the back again.

Mark's focus drifts from the water to the rest of the room. There's only one other person sitting in the dining area. A rather handsome man with short dark hair, dark eyes, pretty sculpted face. One ear has a unique little tip, making it more pointed than the other. He's sitting back sipping on a cup of coffee, book in hand, though his gaze seems to find it's way to Mark and Kun's table every so often.

"You can ask, you know." Kun says, drawing Mark's attention back to the man across from him. His elbows are resting against the tabletop, fingers picking idly at the loose thread on the corner of his napkin.

Mark hums. "I was waiting for you, if you were comfortable talking to me. I'm guessing that's him over there?" He keeps his voice carefully low, just in case.

Kun nods. Just a small little motion, but it's enough.

"Sicheng is…" Kun sighs and it carries a weight with it that Mark didn't really imagine the seemingly easygoing pilot could carry. "Sicheng is the son of one of the city investors. He doesn't exactly approve of his son dating anyone he doesn't pick personally."

Mark lets out a little "ah" of understanding, reaching across the table to give Kun's hand a soft pat. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're not the first pick if you're meeting in a hotel." He says softly after a moment. Mark can't help but feel his heart break a little at the sad smile he sees on Kun's face.

"Nope. I'm not even on the radar to be in the running." He says simply.

They leave it at that, the waiter bringing them their meals. They change the subject to lighter topics as they eat. How did Kun learn to fly a plane? His grandfather taught him after he fell in love with flying, riding alongside the older man in his - probably very unsafe - home built plane. Why did Mark get into photography? He loved observing people, capturing their most pure and raw moments and preserving them forever.

They talk through their whole meal, as well as a second cup of coffee. Mark catches Sicheng watching them for a while before he gets up and leaves quietly. Kun doesn't seem to notice, too wrapped up in discussing how dangerous a mix Jaemin, Jeno, and Renjun are after having heard how the rest of the group's night had gone and some of how Mark's morning had started. He had conveniently left out certain embarrassing details.

Eventually the two part, Mark with a plate in hand for Johnny and Kun with a brighter smile. 

"Thank you, Mark." He says, taking a few backward steps towards the main doors. "For talking to me."

"No problem. Sometimes you have to tell a stranger just to get it off your chest." Mark says, smiling. At that Kun grins wide.

"New friend. Not a stranger." He corrects and waves as he turns to leave. "I'll see you around, okay?"

Mark watches him leave before deciding to take the stairs up to his room, the walk back a little more lively than it was going to breakfast. He knows waking Johnny is going to be a Herculean task, but he doesn't care right now. For some reason, hearing that Kun considered him a friend felt really good. Maybe it was because he was so kind and Mark could sympathize with the state of his love life. Or maybe it was because he genuinely liked the pilot, finding him calming to be around and rather funny.

When Mark opens the door to the room he sees Johnny sitting up in bed already, hair a wild mess. His eyes are still closed, but he cracks one open at Mark's arrival, perking up a little more at the smell of food.

As Johnny eats slowly, Mark gives him a run down of his morning. He leaves out Sicheng and Kun's personal relationship, but talks about breakfast and all the goofy childhood stories Kun had shared. Johnny seems to appreciate the soft chatter, even with a headache blasting away at his temples. Mark forces him into the shower after he's done eating, saying that he'll at least feel cleaner if not a little less dead when he's done.

There's a soft knock on the door not long after the shower had turned on, Johnny bumbling around inside. Mark is quick to open the door, Yukhei giving him a shy wave. 

"Hey, just wanted to see how you were holding up." He says, voice soft. He also looks a little worse for wear, much like Jungwoo earlier. Mark moves out of the way, waving him into the room and offering him a seat.

"We're okay. As okay as we can be." Mark says, a teasing lilt to his voice as he leans against the bed frame. Yukhei must catch it because he smiles and his shoulders relax a little.

"Good. That's good." He sinks into the desk chair, running a hand over his face. "I should have known Jeno was going to be heavy handed with the liquor. And Ten never could turn down a chance to drink someone under the table."

Mark just shrugs. He may not remember much from the night before, but he wasn't going to blame the poor tour guide for his and his cousin's inability to say no. Or stop drinking.

"We're okay, but do you happen to know where we could get aspirin? I forgot to pack some." He asks. He had checked both his and Johnny's bags for some and had turned up empty handed. Typical. There's always something that gets forgotten no matter how well you think you pack for a trip.

"I can take you to Med Pavilion." Yukhei says with a nod. "Yuta and Doyoung should be there. They have some pretty good hangover cures that work wonders."

The walk to the Medical Pavilion was a short one, a door in the wall on the familiar path to Morpheus opening up to a much smaller walkway branching off of the main. The pavilion itself was just one large building split into sections for each specific unit, light colored stone glinting in the ocean water making it easy to see from the path. Yukhei had mentioned an emergency entrance at the back of the large structure for Chariot access from other, father parts of the city.

As soon as they enter the building, Yukhei leads them off to the left, bypassing the large map in the center of the room. Mark follows closely behind, though he's looking around at the high domed ceiling, the stairs at the back of the room leading to other units, and the different seating areas scattered about.

They follow Yukhei through an archway and into what looks like a hallway of offices. Most of the doors are closed, but light shines into the space from a few of the rooms halfway down the hall. Yukhei barges into the one closest to them, a plaque above the door reading Dr. Nakamoto Yuta.

The room is brightly lit, a number of small pretty glass lamps settled amongst the books on the shelves lining the walls as well as the desk taking up the center of the room. A large number of plants are hanging from the ceiling and sitting on many of the open spaces. There's a few very comfortable looking chairs settled in the corner of the room.

Perched behind the desk is a man who Mark can only assume is Yuta. He's young, Mark wouldn't think someone that young would be a doctor, but who is he to judge. Plus, his experience so far in Elysium had shown many interesting young men took residence in the city. The doctor looks up from his papers, his red hair tied out of his face in a small ponytail bouncing as he moves. The smile he gives them as soon as he sees them is wide and kind.

"Xuxi," He greets and without missing a beat, "Mark and Johnny, right?" At their confused looks he lifts his hands in front of himself, waving them slightly as if trying to wave off their concern. "Ten was in here earlier and he mentioned you both. You just missed him, actually."

"Not surprised seeing as he's the one that started the drinking games last night." Yukhei laughs. "Where's Doyoung? Did Ten complaining make him run for the hills?"

Just as Yukhei says it another man enters the room, arms full of papers and a number of glass bottles, dark eyes staring daggers at him.

"That's Doyoung-hyung to you brat. Just cause Kun let's you get away with everything…" He trails off with a roll of his eyes. "I take it I was right grabbing more of these." He says, carefully dropping the bottles onto Yuta's desk.

He takes two, holding them out to Mark and Johnny, watching as they hesitantly take them. The little bottle is filled with a dark pink liquid and when Mark opens the stopper he notes it smells slightly floral. He gives it a quizzical look before looking up at Johnny, noting that he too is just staring at the doctor.

"What is this?" The elder asks after a moment. The doctor just shrugs, moving to sink into a chair, crossing one leg over the other.

"It's not poison, that's for sure." Mark really hopes that's a joke and the nervousness in his stomach settles slightly when Yuta tosses a balled up piece of paper at the other doctor.

"Be nice, Dodo. It's just concentrated beet juice for blood flow and lavender for the headache and nausea. Some other herbs and stuff for the vitamin boost too." Yuta supplies. "Doesn't taste the best, but it does the job."

"Down the hatch." Johnny says with a shrug, tapping his bottle to Mark's before drinking the whole thing. Mark follows his lead, grimacing a little at the taste. Yukhei is quick to grab them both glasses of water from the pitcher Yuta had sitting off to the side.

They chat with both doctors for a little while after that, Mark warming up to them both slightly. Johnny is quick to make plans to come back and get some statements from them both for his article after he's done feeling like he was hit by a bus. Yuta laughs at that, giving him.a sympathetic pat on the back on their way out and a promise that the booster should kick in soon.

It's as they're leaving, Johnny and Yukhei trailing ahead of Mark as he stops at the map, that he catches sight of golden skin.

Donghyuck is standing on the balcony of the floor above, grimace set in place on his face and arms crossed over his chest. The man standing across from him is dressed in a white lab coat, dark hair swept off his forehead, strong brows furrowed as he stares back at the singer.

"Please, hyung. I need them." Mark hears Donghyuck's voice carry from above. He must not notice the three of them in the lobby below, view blocked by the large sign.

"I can't just give you illegal plasmid enhancers, Hyuck. They're unsafe. Hell, the plasmids themselves are still in testing." The doctor levels Donghyuck with a stern look. "Especially when you won't even tell me why you need them."

Mark watches as the singer shakes his head, curls bouncing freely around his face. He's rooted to the spot, even if this seems like a conversation he's not meant to hear. Mark doesn't even know what half of what they're saying means, but he can't seem to make his body move. He can feel Johnny's body now pressed to his back though, Yukhei in the corner of his vision, also listening in.

"I can't." Donghyuck says, softer than before. He still looks determined, but the set of his shoulders is falling. Less angry. He looks desperate. The doctor sighs loudly.

"Please, tell me you didn't get yourself mixed up in the underground stuff. Jeno is supposed to be keeping that out of the club and I don't know who's pushing or manufacturing, but I'll ask Hendery to look into it if I have to." The doctor runs a hand through his hair, stopping to rub little circles at his temples. "That shit is unstable and has too many side effects. I swear."

Donghyuck is quick to cut off the other's tangent, moving to place calming hands against the other man's arms.

"No. Taeil-hyung, it's nothing like that. I just… I can't tell you right now. I just need a small dose, okay? Just Eve."

Mark watches as the doctor shakes his head, letting it fall back to look up at deep blue waters above. He takes a deep breath before looking right at the other man. He looks like he's going to deny Donghyuck again, but instead he turns, waving him along.

"Come with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're confused about what Hyuck and Taeil were talking about, no worries. More will be revealed next chapter about plasmids.
> 
> Also, thanks to those of you that have stuck around this far or have left kudos. I appreciate every comment / kudos / view.


	6. Two Ways to Deal With a Mystery

Mark's curiosity has been at an all time high since that morning in the medical pavilion. He didn't know a lot of things about what he had witnessed and the need to dig for information was lingering at the tips of his fingers, just beneath his skin. Johnny didn't seem to be faring any better, fidgety with the need to ask questions. The constant clicking of his pen, a nervous tick of his, followed him all night. From their room and even all the way to the dining hall.

Yukhei had promptly dropped the two of them off at Solaris after the encounter, ignoring the elephant in the room and citing their hangovers as a reason to push off their tour of the rest of Elysium until the next day. Even Jungwoo had conveniently been missing from the desk in the lobby when Mark had checked for him on the way to dinner.

Even after two long days, hours of touring almost every nook and cranny of the city, they were still no closer to answers. He and Johnny had tried to keep their minds distracted, taking numerous photos and keeping notes of every location, every person that would allow them an interview. They heard stories from the ladies who sold peaches from the booth in Morpheus, as well as advice from older men hanging out in one of the many parks to play poker. 

Both cousin's had come to an agreement not to bother Yukhei about the situation too. He seemed content to pretend like what they saw hadn't happened. He even went as far as skipping the med pavilion entirely during their tour.

Two days and it was still driving Mark insane, buzzing around his brain like an annoying fly. Mysteries and Mark just didn't mix.

He really wasn't sure why it was bothering him so much either. Yes, he would admit that Donghyuck was handsome and Mark was hopelessly pulled in by whatever magnetism the other man had. He had waxed poetic to himself numerous times over dark eyes, sun-kissed skin, a velvet voice, sweet perfume. Maybe even once, to his shame and utter embarrassment, he let those thoughts entertain him in the privacy of the bath. Or twice. Who was counting?

Was that really enough of a reason for him to feel like this, though? Probably not.

Mark stood back, looking at himself in the mirror as he straightened out his tie. He could hear Johnny nervously fiddling with his bag. Probably checking for the fifth time in the last hour to see if he had packed his pen, backup pen, and numerous pads of paper. He was excited, but also incredibly nervous to be meeting and interviewing EXO.

EXO was one of the first teams of explorers to travel to the underwater marvel that was Rapture. It was after the city fell, of course, and the twelve member team, for whatever reason, had refused many of the interviews and attention that had come their way after the expedition. That was until now. No wonder Johnny was such a mess.

Mark is quick to finish getting ready, fixing his hair before moving out of the bathroom to grab his camera and usher his cousin to finish packing his things. They rush to meet Yukhei at the entrance of My. Olympus, boarding the Chariot quickly. Yukhei talks the whole ride, a number of random topics blending into one another. Mark tries to pay attention, but Johnny's nerves are starting to leak to him as well, chest tightening in anticipation and an uncomfortable itch in between his ribs.

Midas Touch is a ritzy restaurant on the other side of Elysium, nestled into a pretty shopping district called The Big Dipper. It's sister location, Little Dipper, is a large impressive maze of scenic gardens that twist around one full side of the shopping center.

They say a quick goodbye to Yukhei after assuring him they can find their way. The walk through the gardens is calming, though thankfully, despite not being a straight shot to the main road of storefronts that boast pretty bags, dresses, and capelets of pearl and silk, is well marked. Mark doesn't know what he'd do if they ended up getting lost among the winding paths of the gardens, not a single other person on the paths.

As soon as they step foot in Midas Touch they are led to a large private dining hall, already occupied by a rather lively group of men. One of which is standing on his chair, waving a polished fork above his head, poised to stab the man next to him who is cackling hysterically at the threat. They seem to pay no attention to Mark or Johnny as the waitress waves them in and closes the doors behind them, a small smile on her face as she wishes them good luck.

"Baekhyun, sit down. You're embarrassing yourself in front of our guests." The man at the head of the table says in a calm tone, eyes still on the man standing on the plush red chair. Eleven sets of eyes turn in their direction, Johnny and Mark quickly bowing in greeting, as Baekhyun climbs down from his perch.

Johnny had had the foresight to give Mark a list of the members of EXO, detailing their position in the group and containing small photos of them from just after their trip to Rapture. Some of the only photos caught of the group, actually. They really didn't do these men justice. Mark runs through the members in his head, trying to match the photos to the real people.

There was the leader of the group, Kim Junmyeon. He was better known to the public as Suho and heralded as one of the best young expedition leaders in all of Asia.

Byun Baekhyun, seated in his chair again and now continuing whatever lively conversation he had been having with the marine biologist he had been threatening earlier. Oh Sehun still seems completely unbothered by their head of communications previous actions. Park Chanyeol, the team photographer, watches on, an amused smile spread across his face as the other two converse with waving hands and steadily raising voices.

Next to them sits the genius engineer trio: Zhang Yixing, Kris Wu, and Huang Zitao. They were currently preoccupied by building some sort of structure in the middle of the table using an array of silverware and dishes. Luhan, the team's demolitions expert, is sneakily making attempts to topple the structure every time the others are preoccupied by gathering up more materials.

Kim Jongin is speaking softly to Do Kyungsoo, watching as the cartographer is sketching idly on one of the white cloth napkins. Mark watches as Kyungsoo smiles softly, just a little upturn of the corners of his lips, at whatever the young medic is saying.

Lastly, at the other end of the table, sits Kim Minseok and Kim Jongdae. Both the senior medic and transporter smile at Mark and Johnny, waving them into the room to take up the two empty seats nearest them.

Mark moves slowly, staying just behind his cousin as they cross the room to the table. As soon as they sit a number of waitresses enter, sweeping around the room to deliver drinks and horderves. The conversation settles as the atmosphere calms with the arrival of food.

Johnny busies himself with laying out his pens and notepad, a list of preliminary questions already scribbled across the top of the page. "So," he starts after a moment, freezing up as twelve sets of eyes focus on him.

Suho, to his credit, just smiles kindly. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions for us, Mr. Suh. Go ahead whenever you're ready and my team will answer as well as we are able."

Mark watches as Johnny takes a steadying breath, the slight tremble in his hands betraying his nerves and excitement. "Johnny is fine. And I do have a lot of questions I am going to try and get through, I hope you'll forgive me for taking up your time."

"It's all good." Baekhyun interrupts after a moment, a grin plastered across his face. "We figured this would take a while, hence meeting somewhere with food."

"Okay," Johnny nods, looking over his notes slowly to pick where he wants to start. "You all were one of the first teams to explore Rapture, can you tell me anything you remember about the trip or your feelings on seeing the city?"

The members of EXO seem to take a moment, looking from one to another as if testing who should answer first. Baekhyun shrugs, moving so he's perched on the edge of his chair, rocking back and forth slightly.

"We were each chosen by Suho for the trip because he believed in our skills despite how young we were. Even our baby had made some considerable strides in his field by the time he was selected." He takes a moment to shoot a teasing grin at a scowling Sehun before continuing. "We were hired by Elysium's own founder, Mr. Park, to document as much of the city as possible."

"He wanted something to base his rebuild on." Luhan adds as he takes a huge bite of noodles. "Authenticity." He says it with puffed cheeks, completely unconcerned that his mouth is full.

Johnny nods, pen scribbling at a fast pace. "So Mr. Park funded the trip entirely?"

"He had some help. Investors who were equally interested in replicating Rapture as closely as possible." Suho says, fingers drumming lightly on the polished table. "I honestly couldn't tell you their names. We only communicated with Park and his assistant."

Johnny stops writing, tapping his pen against the rings of the journal. "What did you find? Most of what the public knows comes from a few select photos and some random statements from the original founder before his disappearance. That and the few people who came back from the city."

Mark watches as Kyungsoo sits up straight, finally abandoning the drawing in front of him to tune into the conversation. His face is serious as he levels Johnny with a cold stare.

"The city was abandoned by the time we got there." He says, tone blunt. "We weren't the first team in the city and most of it was flooded by the time we got there."

Mark can't help but notice the medic beside him grimacing slightly at Kyungsoo's words. Jongin looked almost uncomfortable with the topic and Mark would put money on the team leaving out important parts of the story.

"Yukhei, one of the workers here talked about basing the Chariot off of designs found in the city." Mark says after a moment. The other men in the room must not have expected him to talk, all eyes focusing on him with a mix of expressions. Minseok raises a brow at him from across the table, giving him a little smile.

"We found some journals and recordings from past residents, though we're not sure what other teams took with them before we got there. The Chariot's original designs were one of the things we were able to salvage."

"What about plasmids?" Johnny cuts in.

Johnny is toeing a line, Mark can tell. A weird tension settles over the entire table. Mark's not sure if it's the question itself that caused the moment to turn tense, or if it was the implied notion of the team leaving out details of their trip. Their answers, though fitting enough to sufficiently answer Johnny's questions, seemed almost rehearsed.

There's a soft laugh from the other end of the table, though it lacked any humor behind it.

"Humans just can't leave a failure a failure, can they?" Yixing says, calmly. He's watching them closely, twirling a chopstick between his fingers. The tension between them all growing even more intense at the vagueness of his statement.

"What?" Mark can't help but let his confusion show. He looks from face to face, waiting, hoping for someone to give him some sort of clarity.

Jongin sighs loudly, looking at the table as he speaks. "Off record?"

"Of course." Johnny is quick to comply, putting his notebook down as he waits for the other to continue. At this point, his desperation for answers outweighed his need to be totally professional. What Neo Zone didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Mark was just as curious, not about to let this moment slip away.

Chen reaches across the table to pat at the younger man's arm as Kyungsoo slings an arm across his shoulders. He still seems wary of letting the other continue his train of thought, but he doesn't say anything against it. 

"You don't have to do this." Suho says. His calm demeanor has cracked a little. His shoulders are tense and his jaw is visibly clenched.

Jongin shakes his head as he takes a moment to look at his teammates. Mark suspects he's checking for any sign of hesitation to back out of telling them their story. When he sees none he continues.

"We can't keep lying." He says, tone firm in his decision. "Mr. Park paid us to take the trip to the city, as we said. We were warned ahead of time about possible hostility at our arrival, told to protect ourselves at any cost, but when we got there the city had been cleared." He pauses, looking a little shaken at whatever memory had come to the surface at the admission.

"The city was supposed to still have people living in it." Zitao continues for him after a moment when it seems like Jongin is struggling to find his words. "Whatever teams went ahead of us had emptied the city. Judging by the amount of shells, holes, and gore we found… well, we assume it wasn't peaceful."

Mark takes a moment to process. This is why the team hadn't talked about this before. Not to the public at least. It would be too dangerous to expose something like a mass culling of citizens from the underwater city. A dangerous cocktail of information that could cause exploration teams and the countries they represented blaming each other, which could turn violent. Could cause a war.

Johnny nods along slowly. His mouth pinched in a tight line. Worry clearly etched on his features. He must have come to the same conclusion Mark had.

"So you buried it all. Said most of the city was flooded and sent what you did find to Park." It's not a question when Johnny says it.

"The blueprints for the Chariot and the Bouncers were given over to the rebuild team by us." Chanyeol clarifies. "We never gave out anything about plasmids."

Baekhyun must see Mark getting ready to ask a question as he raises a hand to stop him.

"Plasmids were advertised all over Rapture. Biochemical enhancers that gave their users superhuman abilities. They were sold off to the general public as readily as a pack of cigarettes." He says, face no longer full of joking and mirth. This was the face of EXO's lead communicator, full seriousness. Mark shifted a little in his seat at the intense attention. "From what we found, the city didn't really have bans on what doctors or scientists could produce or sell. Everything was free game to Rapture. No regulations were put in place."

"What we did find about plasmids seemed to point to the fact that they were toxic. Even the injections used to power them, called Eve, I think, were apparently dangerous. Long term use caused a number of side effects. The main problem was that it caused the user to become extremely hostile." Minseok continues. "We can only assume the people of Rapture turned on each other and that was partly to blame for the city's failure."

Mark nods slowly before looking at his cousin. A number of question and concerns are bouncing around in his head, but he had no idea where to start trying to sort them out.

Donghyuck and that doctor, Taeil was his name if Mark remembered correctly, knew about plasmids. Taeil even hinted at illegally produced ones floating around the city. How did they even get into the city? Why was Donghyuck requesting some from Taeil? There was also something about new plasmids being tested.

Suho must see something pass between the cousin's. He clears his throat gaining their attention back.

"I'm assuming you're asking about plasmids for a reason." He pauses, thinking over his words carefully. "Not many people outside of the exploration teams know about their existence. So I can only make the connection to them being in Elysium."

"I'd be careful, if I were you two." Kris' tone send a shiver down Mark's spine. The look on his face leaves no room for Mark to question his concern for their safety. "If plasmids are in Elysium, I'd get out of the city as soon as I could."

It's a terrifying notion that scares Mark to the core. Not just the idea that these older men who traversed a whole underwater city with little hesitation were visibly scared, but the fact that Mark and Johnny were quickly making friend here in the city. Friends like Kun and Yukhei and Jungwoo. If what EXO said was true, they could all be in danger. Or worse, mixed up in illegal bioenhancers that were poisoning their bodies.

Mark didn't know how, but in that moment he knew he had to do something before these people he was quickly coming to care about ended up like those of Rapture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely happy with this chapter, but I needed to get it out there. It's a little heavier topic wise and from here on it's only going to get worse.
> 
> Just a reminder to check the tags because Bioshock typical violence is coming up soon.


	7. Hello, Little Fish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, from this chapter on there will be Bioshock typical violence. Please remember to check the tags.

"What are we gonna do?"

The question spills out of Mark practically the moment they step out of Midas Touch, making their way quickly into the maze-like paths of The Little Dipper. The strong scent of roses and lilac tickle Mark's nose and he has to fight the sneeze that he can feel sneaking up on him.

"What can we do?" Johnny replies, voice carefully lowered and level. He seems the picture of calm, but Mark can tell what they had learned from EXO had shaken them both.

Granted, there was no proof beyond their overheard conversation that indicated anyone in the city was using illegal injections that gave them superpowers. Mark quickly ran through all the kind faces he's met over the last few days in his head, trying to imagine if any one of them were able to do something like that. They all seemed like harmless aunties or uncles though. The workers were pleasant, the farmers generous. Even the people who frequented Morpheus seemed more like the kind of people to get messed up on Jeno's absinthe infused drinks. Not like people ready to splice their genetic makeup for the chance to control things beyond human imagination.

"Maybe we should talk to someone about it." Mark suggests, following Johnny closely as he trudged along the paved pathway. His cousin just shakes his head.

"We can't ask Yukhei. That much is clear… and Jungwoo has been conveniently absent every time we go out. He's avoiding us." Johnny scowls, eyes narrowing as he thinks. "What about Kun? Maybe he could help. Or the doctor, Yuta?"

Mark shakes his head at that. "No. We don't know Yuta or Doyoung well enough to go asking them, especially since the other doctor is their coworker. And Kun has enough on his plate."

They've slowed to a stop by now, just shy of the archway that leads to the Chariot boarding center. There are a few benches tucked away into the greenery along the sides of the path and the large stone wall that separates the garden from the other area. There are bees buzzing around the numerous flowers happily, so Mark and Johnny move to take a seat.

Mark stretches his legs out in front of him, heels of his boots digging into the moss below his feet. He watches, half-distracted, as a fat grey and white cat bounds after some of the insects nearby. It pops into view every time it jumps, swatting madly at the bugs hovering in the air, before disappearing into the taller leaves again.

At this point, he doesn't know what to think, let alone do about the situation before them. The idea of what might be going on below the pretty gilded surface of Elysium confuses and scares him. It's a situation he's not sure he's even equipped to handle.

Minutes pass, silence settling over the cousins. Even the cat has gone quiet, probably laying farther off into the garden for a nap. The stone bench is a little cold and uncomfortable, the feeling seeping through his tailored pants, but Mark elects to ignore it in favor of just taking a moment to breathe. A lot has happened within the last few days and he hasn't really had the time to just be and figure it all out.

Mark is zoning out again, watching as a bee wiggles itself into one of the wildflowers nearby, little butt sticking out already covered in yellow pollen. He's so focused he jumps as Johnny clamps a hand down on his thigh, eyes staring off along the path back towards Midas Touch.

"What the fuc-." Mark is ready to raise hell, but falls silent at Johnny's shushing. It's then that he hears it. Quick footsteps coming down the path. Where they are sitting, they are tucked away enough to not be seen from the path, but still have a pretty good view of it themselves.

A young man comes into view, panting lightly as he looks around him in a big circle. His light brown hair is stuck to his forehead and the scowl on his face is deep enough to reveal the start of dimples in his cheeks.

A static crackle comes from the device in his hand, a tinny voice following it shortly after. "Jae, you there?"

The man lifts the device to his mouth, clicking the button on the side to speak into it.

"I'm here. I lost them though." He says it quickly as he turns from where he was looking around the archway towards the Chariot, already heading back in the direction of the shopping district. Mark waits until the other leaves, footsteps fading into the distance before turning to look at his cousin.

The look on Johnny's face is one Mark hasn't seen before. He's focused, eyes narrowed in on where the man had previously been standing and the scowl crossing his features was so intense, it almost looked like a completely different person. That look promised poison, though under it all Mark could swear there was a little bit of sorrow as well. Maybe made more noticeable only in the way Johnny was still gripping onto Mark's clothes like a lifeline.

It takes a moment for his cousin to break whatever stupor had come over him, a careful mask of calm determination replacing his emotions. It confuses Mark. Something about what had just happened tore his cousin up from the inside, but it was a wound even Mark was to be kept in the dark about. Another mystery of Elysium.

They wait to make sure nobody else is going to come down the path before making their way down the stone steps into the Chariot center. Yukhei isn't the one driving them back this time, the girl piloting the vehicle giving them a kind smile as others with arms laden in bags fill the other available seats. 

They quickly squeeze themselves into the open chairs as the doors seal shut behind them, leaving whatever and whoever that person was behind.

°°°

Mark itches to ask his cousin what was wrong. The ride to Mt. Olympus almost unbearable, the walk to Solaris even worse. The sight of his cousin's face is burned to the inside of his lids and every time he blinks he fears what might be going on inside Johnny's head.

He almost breaks too. Almost lets the floodgates open and pleads for answers from a man he thought he knew almost everything about. Mark is well aware that it's selfish of him to demand the right to his cousin's secrets when he had quite a few tucked away himself, but with all the questions and stress swimming in his head he feels he may drown without something. It makes his chest tight and his head swim just thinking about it.

The doors to Solaris open just as Mark opens his mouth, words quickly lost to the sight of honeyed skin and a sharp smile.

"Hello, Lamb." Donghyuck is the picture of calm, leaning against the main desk, long coat hanging off of his slim shoulders. He's nothing like he had been in the med bay, talking to Dr. Moon, pleading for assistance. 

The pet name immediately makes Mark bristle, just as it had the first time he was called that, mouth closing with a snap and twisting in distaste. The questions he had been burning to ask Johnny crawl back into their dark places inside his lungs, safe for a little while.

"It's Mark." He answers, watching the light dance in Donghyuck's eyes. He realizes a little too late that he may have played into the singer's game by answering. Again. Donghyuck straightens, flashing Johnny a quick look before narrowing back in on Mark. He sweeps across the lobby with practiced grace, shoes clicking against the polished floors.

"Ah. I'm sorry, Mark." His name is practically a purr as Donghyuck says it, a note of playful sarcasm laced in his tone. He stops just in front of Mark, consuming his attention at their proximity. His fingers lightly trace along the slightly wrinkled tie sitting against Mark's chest. "Long day?"

Mark can feel his cheeks heating up, a combination of their closeness and the hint of genuine curiosity and care behind the question. It added to the already heavy gravity that surrounded the singer, pulling Mark in for reasons even he didn't know, but was quickly becoming accustomed to being powerless to.

"Kind of. We had an interview and the topics got a little heavy." Mark chooses his answer carefully, making sure not to give away too much. It's really an omission of some of the truth, not exactly a lie, and it must be enough for Donghyuck who nods slowly. He flashes Mark another smile before bouncing in place for a moment. The motion almost made it seem like Donghyuck was nervous, but why he might be was beyond Mark.

"I'm having a get together at my flat. Would you, maybe, like to come?" Donghyuck's voice is soft and almost bashful as he asks. He looks hopeful too, eyes focused solely on Mark. It takes Mark a moment to realize the younger man is waiting for an answer.

"Yes, yes. I… Sure." He manages to let the words tumble out of his mouth, his blush getting more prominent on his cheekbones and quickly traveling up his neck and to his ears. He doesn't even get a moment to internally scold himself for how eloquent and smooth he wasn't before Donghyuck bounces happily.

"Great!" He flashes Mark the most blinding smile, completely unaware to how Mark's insides melt a little (or a lot) at how beautiful the man in front of him is when he smiles. Especially smiles directed specifically at Mark.

"Wait, I don't know where you live." He says, snapping out of his stupor.

"Oh." And Mark is helpless as Donghyuck pulls him closer to the desk to snatch a pen and pad of paper from Jungwoo. Donghyuck scribbles madly before ripping the sheet away from the pad and pressing it into Mark's chest. "I'll see you there."

°°°

Mark looks down at the paper in his hands, Donghyuck's neat print scrawled across its surface. Mark had refused to let Johnny see it after realizing that the singer had scribbled a little lamb with a heart in the bottom corner of the paper, knowing very well Johnny would not let that little detail go as he led them to Donghyuck's apartment. He instead, transferreds the address over to another paper to leave behind for Johnny who had insisted on staying in their room for the night.

So, because of that, Mark now finds himself trying to navigate his way through the waterways of Elysium alone. He had gotten a little turned around somewhere between the marketplace and the first set of residential housing, but quickly figured out which way to go. Maybe he should have paid a little more attention to Yukhei's tour.

"It says Psyche's Den right on the sign, Mark." Mark grits out, stepping on the pressure plate to activate the automatic door. "I'm sure this is it this time... I think." He sighs and levels his own reflection with an unimpressed glare as he moves through onto the walkway.

This part of Elysium is quiet. Way quieter than Morpheus or even Mt. Olympus, a popular spot for garden picnics which, as Mark thinks about it, probably was even more popular now that people could get a glimpse of Mark or Johnny, the outsider cousins.

The lights aren't as bright either, lacking a lot of the colorful neon and instead glittering softly with silver and blue lighting. "It's pretty." Mark says, thinking out loud and taking a moment to take in the slightly distorted view through the water outside. He quickly makes his way through the waterway then and down onto the street of Psyche. 

Psyche's Den is a smaller part of the city in Elysium, simply a large square of tall, clean looking buildings lining the outer part of the street and a traditional looking building taking up the center portion. Each building is labelled with intricately designed plaques pressed into the stonework that makes up each path and leads up to the building's entrance ways. It doesn't take long for Mark to find The Cherub, the white exterior flushed a pale pink from the lights in the garden outside reflecting on the brick.

"I'm never going to get used to the architecture around here." Mark mutters to himself as he steps into the main lobby. Mark makes a small noise of surprise as he looks around in awe.

The main lobby is a single room, a welcome desk sitting in the center of the hardwood floor under a massively large golden chandelier that hangs from the high ceiling. The fixture looks like a large metallic sun, multiple rings circling around one another, large rays spread out from each of them in different directions.

The front desk is unmanned, a single plaque with names and flat numbers sitting on its surface. Mark supposes it makes sense, considering most of the people coming in and out either lived in the building or knew the people here. It seemed like almost everyone in Elysium knew everyone else.

He checks over the list briefly, noting Donghyuck's flat takes up one whole half of the fifth and sixth floors. Mark wonders what it's like, for a moment, living somewhere that is bigger than his own little shoebox apartment. He also wonders if it gets lonely, realizing that Donghyuck's name was the only one under his flat number.

He takes the spiralling metal staircase to Donghyuck's floor, noting as he walks that he can see the balconies of the upper floors from far below.

It's not long before Mark is pressing the button for the bell next to Donghyuck's name plaque. The door swings open almost immediately. Renjun is the one who answers, looking almost bored as he scans Mark over for a moment before gracing him with a smile and waving him in.

The inside of the flat screams Donghyuck. At least from what Mark knows of the singer. The room Renjun leads them into is a large open sitting room, draped in whites and golds and browns. There's small stacks of books and candles scattered about, some on the tables, some lining shelves. There's even some on the woven rug in the middle of the room.

A comfortable looking couch takes up one whole wall to Mark's right and is occupied by Jaemin and Chenle, who stops to give Mark a wave before turning back to his conversation. Mark spots Jeno over by the large window at a cart bar, looking through the bottles available with a look of concentration on his face.

Donghyuck is sitting on the arm of a plush chair, of which Renjun immediately sinks into, claiming the spot for himself. The singer grins when he turns and spots Mark, whispering something to Renjun before he gets up and strides over.

"You came." Donghyuck says softly as he comes to a stop in front of Mark.

"Of course I did. I told you I would." Mark lightly teases, watching a small pout cross the other's face.

"I didn't know if you were just humoring me, honestly." Mark watches the flash of vulnerability that crosses Donghyuck's face with rapt attention, not missing the confession for what it was. For whatever reason, it seemed Donghyuck might be just as enthralled by Mark as he was with the other man. Just the possibility of that sent a rush of warmth through Mark's chest.

"I'd do way more than just humor you, if possible." Mark confesses. It's said softly, only for Donghyuck and himself to hear. A moment of shared weakness. He watches the smile bloom on the singer's face, impossibly shy, but also speaking of pure happiness at the confirmation that Mark was just as in this as Donghyuck himself.

Their moment is broken by the popping of a bottle, Jeno already pouring out glasses for everyone. Donghyuck takes a step back, but cautiously reaches out, hesitating at the last moment before his hand meets Mark's. Without thinking about it, Mark reaches out to bridge the gap, gently holding onto Donghyuck's soft hand, absentmindedly running his thumb over the other man's knuckles.

It's soft and tender in a way that is new to Mark, but he likes it.

The night seems to fly by after that, a sense of euphoria washing over Mark in waves. Dinner is delicious, paired with good wine and better conversation. Mark finds, more-so now than at the bar, that he really likes hanging out with this group. Jaemin is effortlessly funny and he and Jeno play off of each other's energy endlessly. Renjun is all sharp wit and interesting conversation topics, while Chenle's laugh could cure disease. If not for how loud it was.

And Donghyuck. Mark finds that the whole night is a whirlwind of hand holding and lingering touches. Of whispered conversations just between the two of them. If the others notice, they don't say anything about it. Any bad thoughts Mark might have had about this man are washed away as easily as the wine in their glasses disappears.

Mark is the last one to leave the flat, still able to hear the others on the stairs. He turns to say goodnight to Donghyuck, gasping when hands find his shoulders and his back hits the wall. There's a soft brush of lips against his before Donghyuck's bravery falters and he pulls away all too soon for Mark's liking.

He licks his lips, noting that they taste of sweet honey wine and the apple pastry Jaemin had brought for dessert.

"Goodnight, Mark." Donghyuck says, hands lingering where they are settled against Mark's chest. He pulls back slowly, turning to go back into his flat. Before he can get too far, Mark gently grabs him by the wrist, fingers wrapped around his thin wrist.

"Walk me to the door?" Donghyuck nods, a pretty pink flush on his cheeks.

They take the stairs, hand in hand all the way to the lobby. The gold sun sits high above them, the others still lingering by the main door. Mark can tell they're being watched, but he doesn't care as he leans in to place a soft kiss on Donghyuck's forehead.

"Hurry up, lovebirds!" Renjun calls, causing Mark to laugh as Donghyuck scowls at his friend over his shoulder. He opens his mouth to scold his friend, but is silenced by the gentle squeeze of Mark's hand in his.

"It's okay. I'll see you to-"

Mark's words are cut off at the sound of a scream, followed by a hollow thud. The sun above their heads swings as the face of a woman, eyes blank and hollow, stares down at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, kinda a filler chapter, but it sets the stage for shit to hit the fan from here on.
> 
> Thanks for reading and for any kudos / comments. I appreciate them all!


	8. Dies, Died, Will Die

Mark's ears are ringing. He's not sure why, exactly, but he can't really hear much. He's sure that the blood dripping from the woman's body, sliding down her hand and from her thin fingers to the hardwood floor is making some sort of noise. Plop plop plop.

He's sure the group at the door are moving around. Hell, he's sure the initial scream he did hear came from one of them, Chenle maybe, but no matter how hard he tries to focus all he can hear is that damn ringing.

All he can see is the face above his. Eyes cold and hard and unfocused. Face twisted in fear. He can't look away either, he realizes, body paralyzed in fear.

Mark has never seen a dead body. Family funerals were something his mother went to when he was a child, leaving him at home with Johnny or his dad. He remembers her saying something about him being too young, too sensitive to face death head on. He kind of wishes he had been allowed to now. It might have made this easier.

He really didn't think death would look like this, though. To look so broken and wrong. He can't do anything but beg his body to move. To unroot itself from the floor below him that he's grow to be a part of, to turn his head away, something!

His saving grace comes as Donghyuck moves, pulling away from Mark's hold as he runs towards the stairwell. Mark's head snaps from the body on the chandelier above, fast enough that his neck pops with a sickening crunch. He watches, wide eyed in shock as Donghyuck's bare feet slide through the growing puddle of dark red blood on the floor as he hurries to the stairs, taking two at a time.

"Hyuck!" Jeno is beside Mark now, yelling the singer's name as he runs after him. The others aren't far behind, Renjun stopping to check on Mark before even they too are moving to follow the bloody footprints up the stairs. As Mark hits the landing for Donghyuck's floor he can see the door to the flat thrown wide open a trail showing where the singer had gone.

"Jisung!" Donghyuck sounds desperate, moving around the flat shoving things into a backpack already in his hands. Jeno is the first to approach him, gently grabbing his arms and holding him in place.

The sight of the singer is one that Mark is torn by. He looks afraid, eyes wild. His hands are shaking, almost losing grip on the bag hanging open in his hands. His feet are caked in quickly drying blood and the curls around his face are wild and messy. All of that and he's still one of the most beautiful people Mark has ever seen.

Something in him stirs and he realizes then that he really would do anything for this man. He gently pulls away from Renjun, who had been keeping a tight hold on him, probably afraid he would faint.

"What do you need?" Mark's tone is soft, a little afraid still, but he can see some relief flash across Donghyuck's face as he takes the bag from his hands.

The question breaks the tension in the room some, allowing them to get to work. "There's a box on the bookshelf. I need the vials in there. And Jisung. He was sleeping upstairs, I need someone to make sure he's getting his stuff."

"I'm here." A new voice says and Mark turns to see a tall, thin boy standing awkwardly in the corner of the room. His frame is swamped in a too-big sweater, dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, hands twitchy as he slings a small backpack over his thin shoulders. His eyes look dull and his limp damp hair is hanging in his face.

Donghyck nods, apparently not surprised by the state this boy, Jisung, is in. "Okay, we have to go, quickly."

As he says it a chorus of noises sound from outside the flat. There's a series of voices and the heavy thudding of boots on the stairs, as well as an odd clanging sound coming from the floor above.

Donghyuck moves, grabbing a pair of boots and shoving them on his feet, tossing another pair at Jisung. He looks up as he finishes knotting the last lace, looking up at Mark, face now set in determination. A stark contrast to the fear that was there before.

"The box, Mark." He reminds and Mark is quick to stride over to the shelf, scanning for said box. He opens the lid to see a line of syringes, glowing blue liquid swirling around inside as he transfers them from the box to the bag.

"What is this?" Mark asks, as he struggles to zip the bag shut.

Donghyuck shares a look with Jisung before turning towards Mark, he opens his mouth to answer, but the sound of the front door slamming open startles them all. Donghyuck is quick to signal them all to be quiet, backing them all farther into the room and quickly moving to open a drawer under the shelves. He pulls out a small gun, checking the safety before he tucks it under his coat and steps around the corner to face whoever was at the front door.

"Hello there. I'm looking for the little fish." The voice of the man is odd, wrong, speech too slow. It's almost as if whoever was at the door was drugged and in a daze.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." Donghyuck answers, voice somehow staying level, despite his nervous posture.

The person at the door hums loudly, as if completely unbothered by Donghyuck's statement, continuing in a sing-song voice. "Little fish. Little fish. Come out and play."

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Donghyuck cuts in, though his voice wavers a little at the end, pitch going up. Whatever he sees is scaring him and Mark has to stop himself from exposing himself to comfort the man.

He looks around at everyone else instead, noting the others sharing a similar state of worry and unease. Jisung is crouched behind them all, shoved between the wall and the chair with his hands over his ears and eyes shut tight as if he's trying to block everything out.

Mark moves slowly to crouch beside him, gently tapping on the boy's arm. He smiles softly, hopefully reassuringly, as he's met with wide eyes.

"It'll be okay." Mark mouths, waiting for the younger boy to nod at him. "We'll keep you safe."

Mark's not sure where the confidence comes from, but it seems to help the other. He offers his hand to help Jisung stand, making sure to keep his own body between the sickly looking boy and the door. He startles slightly as Jeno emerges from the hallway that leads deeper into the apartment, Renjun on his heels with an assortment of things in his arms. Mark hadn't even noticed them leave, but he's grateful for the heavy wrench placed in his hands.

"Have you had your cherry popped, Muse?" The voice is closer, the sound of heavy footsteps and the scraping of nails along the wallpapered walls accompanying the movement. "The fish has."

Donghyuck backs up a few steps, pulling the gun from its concealed spot to point at the intruder. His hands are shaking. "I'm not asking again. Leave."

"Leave? But I just got here." The laugh the intruder lets out is high and loud, bone chilling. Mark sees Donghyuck flinch back as if he had been slapped.

The steps don't stop and soon the man comes into view. He's tall and broad, draped in dirty clothes. The rabbit mask obscuring most of his face is cracked, the bottom half missing, showing off a crooked smile full of yellowing teeth and cracked lips. He takes a long look around the room, eyes narrowing in on Jisung's small frame.

"Ah, the little fish is here." Mark can feel Jisung's grip on the back of his shirt tighten as the stranger turns towards them, steps uneven and heavy as he tsks. "Won't your daddy be happy to know where you've been. Hiding with the Muse."

"Leave him alone." Donghyuck's expression is cold as he presses the gun to the back of the stranger's head.

The grin that splits the man's face is predatory and cold dread seeps into Mark's veins. Whatever this man was on made him fearless, which made him even more dangerous.

"I made the angel fly, Muse. Would you like to as well?"

"No." Jisung says as he stumbles out from behind Mark, one hand raised in a placating gesture. "There's no need for that."

"Jisung, don't." Donghyuck's composure breaks as the younger takes another step into the open. It takes Mark a moment to realize he's not talking about confronting the trespasser.

Jisung must have gotten into the backpack Mark had on while he was behind him, a blue injection in the hand behind his back. He watches as the younger pops the cap on the syringe, moving quickly to pull up his loose sleeve and stab it into the bend of his own elbow. The masked man reacts then, pupils blown wide and head tilted to the side as he watches Jisung push the plunger down, forcing the blue liquid into his system.

"You have Eve."

Jisung grunts in pain as what looks like blue electricity travels up his arm under the surface of his skin, a soft crackling sound swirling through the air. The younger boy stumbles slightly, before straightening, face set in a grimace as he raises a palm to the intruder.

"I do. And I believe you were asked to leave, splicer." Jisung grits out, teeth clenched as the blue finally fades back to Jisung's normal skin tone.

"What is he doing?" Mark hears Chenle's panicked voice as Donghyuck backs away from the center of the room, closer to his friends.

The splicer watches as the younger boy doesn't lower his palm, bracing his wrist with his other hand instead. A grin creeps across his dirty masked face and in an instant he's moving, pulling a metal hook from somewhere on his person.

Jisung manages to dodge at the last minute, hook barely grazing his cheek as he spins out of the way. He turns as the splicer's other arm comes down, aiming for Jisung's temple. The younger boy manages to block with one arm, knocking the other off balance with a blow to the chest. It's the chance he needs to raise his hands again, pointed at the splicer who turns with a snarl, a line of blood and spit mixing together as they drip down his chin.

The bolt of lightning that shoots from Jisung's palm is a flash of bright white, so bright that Mark has to shield his eyes. He can feel the heat from the bolt that just misses the splicer and strikes a pile of Donghyuck's books in the corner of the room. Chenle yells out as the papers quickly catch fire, grey smoke billowing from them as the fire starts to spread.

The splicer seems unconcerned with the flames as he glares at Jisung, yellow teeth bared and a wild look in his eyes. "The fish wants to play? Fine, I'll play."

He charges again, this time dropping his body low, using his shoulders to hit against Jisung's waist. They both go tumbling to the floor, the chair tipping over and a number of things going flying across the floor. There's a flurry of movement as the splicer pins Jisung to the ground, pulling back a hook and just narrowly missing his head, instead burrying it into the wooden floor.

Donghyuck is moving at the same time Mark is, adrenaline running through his veins like hot molten gold and pushing any amount of fear he has far beneath the surface of his skin. They're both reaching out for the splicer, fingers closing to wrap around his blood stained shirt and rip him off of the younger boy. He tumbles to the floor from the force of their combined efforts. 

The splicer grunts from the impact before he's turning on them, all sense of humanity gone when he looks at Mark. It's like a light had gone out and the man that had been there before, teasing and taunting them had been replaced. Instead, he focused on Mark's every move with an almost feral look in his eye, predattory.

He lunges, hooks swinging at Mark's face and chest, and Mark only has a moment to remeber the wrench he had dropped when he had lunged to pull the larger man from Jisung. He dodges, flinging himself to the floor where the wrench sat, partially buried under the half of the rug that had yet to catch fire.

He yanks it from its spot, quickly twisting to watch as the splicer hovers over him, a sick grin plastered to his sweaty features as he watches Mark struggle to put the weapon between himself and the deranged man in front of him.

"Another angel to send flying." And he laughs, high and broken, hook held high as he prepares to swing.

Mark's brain is working on overdrive, but also not fast enough to prepare for an attack. There's nowhere to run. He's pressed in from all sides, a fire heating his back and smoke clouding his vision.

In a last minute effort, he pulls his legs close to his body, ready to kick the splicers own legs out from under him, knocking him off balance, but Mark's moves are too slow. He watches, wide eyed, and he fears fo a moment he will be unable to look away from his own end as the splicer's hook heads straight for his face.

His body reacts of its own accord, flinching back, away from the impending impact. Eyes closed tight, he anticipates pain, sharp and intense. It's like a singular moment stretches out into many, a number of thoughts running through his head as he prepares himself for what's to come. Thoughts of his cousin, probably relaxing in their hotel room, unaware of what was happening on the other side of the city. Thoughts of his parents on the surface. Thoughts of a pretty singer he never got to properly.

When time seems to tick on as normal and no pain comes, he opens his eyes, blinking through the watery tears building up on his lashes. Mark breathes in slow, the metallic scent of blood mixing with the thick smoke that is quickly filling the flat, as he stares up at the splicer above him.

The man is frozen in place, literally, hook held uncomfortably close to Mark's face as his whole body is covered in a layer of glistening ice. Mark can hear movement in the flat, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene.

"I need you to move, lamb." It's Donghyuck's voice, gentle, but urgent. Mark is confused for a moment before he notices the small rivulets of water dripping from the frozen figure onto the floor.

He rolls to the side, away from the splicer and scrambles up on shaky legs as the sharp, loud crack of a gun goes off behind him. Mark whips around as the frozen figure slowly shatters like glass before his eyes. It's oddly fascinating, in a morbid sort of way, and Mark has to assume that it's an effect of the plasmid used to freeze the man.

Slowly, he looks away from where there had once been a body to meet Donghyuck's gaze. He's breathing hard and his hands, gripping the gun tight, are shaking, but the look he gives Mark is resolute. No matter how scared he was, he did it to save Mark's life.

The sound of the wood floors groaning kicks Mark into gear, adrenaline resurfacing as he realizes that they aren't quite out of danger yet. He moves, grabbing Donghyuck by the arms and gently pushing him towards the door. The singer nods at him as he lowers the gun and makes his way through the mess and flames to where Jeno is waiting, huddled in the entraceway of the flat with the others.

Mark quickly scans the room, noticing the bag that he'd dropped on the floor and stooping to scoop it up onto his shoulder before shuffling over to Jisung. He's slumped against the wall, eyes closed and grip still tight on his own wrist. The boy is breathing hard, his face taking on an almost grey pallor, and he seems almost out of it after the fight.

Mark approaches him slowly, gently removing his own strongly gripped fingers from his wrist. If Mark was to guess, he'd bet it would bruise by morning. He gently brushed the hair back from the boy's face, watching as his eyes open to focus on Mark's face.

"We have to go." He has to yell a little, the roaring of the quickly climbing flames getting too loud to hear. The air is hot and thick, not helping with Mark's own desperate need for fresh air, let alone Jisung who looks moments away from breaking down.

The boy doesn't acknowledge the statement with anything more than gripping onto Mark's sleeve tightly. It's a sign of trust, to lead him out of the flat as safely as possible.

With that, Mark hurries to join the others, already making their way out into the main hallway. There's still the sound of voices in the distance, some yelling, some screaming, all coming from other flats in the building. Mark can only assume other splicers had come as well, other people that were so far gone like the one that had tried to kill him. It makes him move faster, continually checking behind him to make sure Jisung was keeping up.

They make it down the stairs, pausing at the main floor to make sure there was nobody to stop them, before making a run for the main doors. The breeze from outside as the front doors burst open feels like heaven on Mark's overheated skin and he pauses in the grass to take a gasping breath, clearing the smoke from his lungs.

The building behind them is burning bright, more than just Donghyuck's floor glowing orange and red embers. There's people from other buildings milling into the street to watch on curiously and it takes Mark a moment to notice the sound of an alarm going off in the air around them. He really hopes that someone called the emergency center.

"We have to go." It's Jeno that speaks as he ushers them all off to a darker corner of the road. His face is streaked in sweat and ash, blond hair a wild halo around his head. He's watching the building, as well as the groups of people standing the closest to them, warily.

"Where?" Chenle's voice cracks as he speaks, a cough wracking his small frame. He too looks worse for wear and he must have inhaled quite a bit of smoke as he curls in on himself as his coughs continue. "Why can't we wait for emergency to show up?"

Renjun shakes his head from his spot crouched on the ground. He looks up at them, mouth set into a grim line. "We can't. I don't fully understand what just happened, but I do know those people," he spits out the word, tone like venom, "were after Jisung. And from what I saw, it won't be pretty if they get their hands on him."

Mark hadn't thought of that. Hell, he hadn't really had the time to process anything, let alone getting caught up in the one thing EXO had warned him about. He rearranges his grip on the wrench nervously. 

"What about the club?" He offers, voice wrecked.

"No. If they suspect he's with Hyuck, they'll probably check there." Jaemin looks tired as he says it, tear tracks already marking his dirty cheeks. "We should stay away from Olympus too. It's the first place people think of when they want somewhere to hide."

That sends a shock of fear through Mark, which must be clearly visible on his face. His cousin was there, unaware of what was to come if splicers did invade looking for the boy attached to Mark's back. Yukhei and Jungwoo too.

"It'll be okay. We'll hide Jisung and then go find your cousin, okay." Jeno offers, trying to be soothing even though he also looks stressed. Mark can only nod, just barely able to put a damper on his panic.

"The med pavilion." Donghyuck says after a minute. The gun he had had is tucked away in his coat again away from view. His clothes are almost grey from the fire instead of the pristine white they had been earlier in the night. His hair is beyond wild, sticking up in some places and matted to his skin in others. There's a trail of blood running from his brow down the side of his face and Mark takes a moment to wonder when that happened.

"Will it be safe to take him there?" Renjun asks, eyes narrowed in on his friend. He looks intense like this.

"Yeah." Donghyuck says after a moment, voice carefully measured as more and more people file out into the streets. "Taeil gave me the Eve for Jisung in the first place and he let slip last time we talked about some sort of safe room in his part of the med bay. If anyone could keep him safe, I'd trust in Taeil."

"Okay." Renjun stands, stretching out his arms above his head. It looks like he's steeling himself for the trip, probably in preparation for their journey across Elysium not being as easy as they would hope. "So we drop Jisung and Chenle off at Med. You get that cut checked out and then we go to Olympus for Johnny and the others."

It's as solid of a plan as they're going to get at this point. Mark knows Renjun is right. It sounds simple, but there's so many factors that they can't fill in just yet. That they can't anticipate.

He just hopes that it all turns out well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was fun.  
> Next chapter is going to be our first POV switch, I believe. I wonder who it will be.


	9. Lives, Lived, Will Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up for a slightly longer chapter from Johnny's pov.  
> I had so much fun writing this, so I really hope you enjoy reading it.

There was a time, when Johnny was still a small child, that he had been enraptured by the idea of investigating. Sleuthing. It had all started on a random trip to the library with his dad and quickly grew into something more. 

He had loved his weekend trips to the stuffy little building filled with dusty books. Had looked forward to them more than anything. More than even his birthday tradition of getting ice cream from the cool stand made out of a train car at the edge of town. It was one time a week where he could leave his little brother, Jisoo, behind at home and have all the attention on himself.

Don't get him wrong, he loved Jisoo. Loved having someone to play with all the time, to tease when he was bored, and to snuggle up to when the dark was just a little too scary at night. Especially so when he would see his baby cousin Mark, a lonely only child who was often overjoyed at finally having someone to play with when he was at their house. But having a brother born less than a year after him also had its challenges.

They shared almost everything growing up; a room until they reached their preteen years, toys, and clothes. There were even times where their birthdays were conjoined, celebrated in January so that it was a middle point between Jisoo's December birthday and Johnny's in February. Jisoo was an ever looming shadow on most days, which led to typical fights between the siblings.

Johnny's weekend trips were just for him. A day where he could spend as long as he wanted gazing at shelves upon shelves of books, loading up as many as his little arms could carry. _The Hardy Boys_ had been a particularly interesting find for him as a child, eventually moving on to _Nancy Drew_ as well. Stories of mysteries and crime and the kids who solved each case. He loved trying to unravel it all with them as he read, writing all of the clues and his guesses in a little leather notebook his mom had gifted him.

Imagine his surprise and joy when, years later, a few months after his eighteenth birthday, _Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?_ was released. He had no shame admitting that, eventually, his childhood interests had morphed into his interest in journalism. Years of studying, dreaming, and hard work had gotten him here. Moping in a plush hotel room by himself.

Mark had gone off to a party, chasing after the pretty singer from the club in Morpheus. Anyone with eyes could tell the younger had fallen head over heels the moment he had heard Donghyuck sing. Johnny had turned down the offer to tag along, not really interested in being witness to all that sweet pining. No, he'd much rather lick his wounds in solitary peace.

With Mark gone there was nobody to stop him from drinking wine straight from the bottle. The burn of the alcohol was a familiar feeling, warming him from the inside. He had already downed half the bottle, mind swimming with past events as he sprawled across the hotel room floor like a lanky starfish, idly watching the fish outside the large window.

He couldn't help but realize how similar he and Jisoo still were, even after all these years and the distance separating them during and after university. Jisoo had just gotten around to confessing to and now dating his best friend from childhood. Johnny couldn't help but hope that that particular choice turned out better for his little brother than it had for him.

Even at the bottom of the ocean, in a city made specifically to be a secluded utopia, he couldn't escape from his past. Imagine his shock and surprise at spotting Jaehyun, ex-best friend turned ex-boyfriend, casually running around Elysium. Seeing him had been a particularly sharp stab to the heart, especially since the younger man still looked so similar to the last time they had talked.

Johnny had met Jaehyun at a summer camp, as cliche as that may sound. It was a camp dedicated to junior detectives, all of his childhood fantasies brought to life in a musty old camp hours away from home. Thirteen year old Johnny, as excited as he was about going, had also been a little worried about leaving on his own for the first time.

Mark and Jisoo had both turned down the offer to go to camp with him. Jisoo had loudly complained that the green, algae covered lake was an infection waiting to happen, and Mark just straight out refused to go. Johnny had been sad and had almost asked if he could skip too, but his mother had convinced him to try.

Once Johnny was there, shiny new luggage beside him on the gravel path into the camp and surrounded by other screaming boys with similar interests, he had to admit his mom had been right.

The boys, once they were signed in, had been assigned the cabin they would be staying in. They were grouped, six boys to a single cabin, with one leader taking charge of each set of boys. Every one of the rickety cabins had been themed after a different detective and Johnny, pushing open the creaky door to Cabin Basil, had gotten his very first glimpse of a lanky, eleven year old Jaehyun.

The younger boy had claimed a top bunk, lazily sprawled over his scratchy blankets as he swung his sneaker clad feet over the side. The bunk below his was the only one left empty, Johnny being the last of the Basil Boys to get to the cabin. (He, to this day, blames his mom's need to take a million photos and crying over how "big her oldest baby has gotten, going off to summer camp on his own!")

"Excuse me. Could you move your feet so I can get to the bunk?" Johnny asked, his pubescent voice cracking a little as he did. The younger boy had sat up then, brown hair sticking up from the humidity in the air and giving Johnny a quick look over. Judging from the face Jaehyun had made, he didn't exactly like what he saw.

"I could," the younger had replied, leaning his elbows against his thighs and crossing his arms over his tiny chest. His voice had taken on a tone full of sarcastic attitude as he spoke, "but I don't think I will."

That had been the start of a messy, but, looking back on it now, fun relationship. The feud between Johnny and Jaehyun of Cabin Basil was kind of notorious during the rest of their time at camp. Food fights, pranks, loud arguments over the campfire, messing with each other's clue books during investigations; they did it all. Johnny can't even remember the amount of times they had to sit, squashed together in the art room, forced to make friendship bracelets for one another as a form of punishment.

It seemed, as the end of summer was creeping closer, the two would never end their war. So Johnny was obviously surprised when, during the last bonfire of the year, Jaehyun had grabbed a hold of the sleeve of Johnny's green sweater and pulled him off into the shadows of the nearest walking trail.

"Thank you. For sticking up for me during the investigation today." Jaehyun had begun, voice loud compared to the quiet of the woods around them. Even the excited yells of the other campers at the party was muffled by the tall trees surrounding them.

"Oh, uh," Johnny reached behind his neck to rub at it nervously. "No problem. I mean, it was the only reasonable answer for who the killer was and blaming the butler just seemed too easy."

The last investigation had been a week long affair, clues carefully laid out to discover the killer of a rich heir and the whereabouts of his missing gold pocket watch. Most of the campers, gathered together in the main hall to discuss their findings, had been adamant in the fact that the butler had been responsible. A poor man sick of being pushed around by his employer's spoiled son for far too long and ready to take revenge.

Johnny had thought blaming the butler was too easy, but he was missing that last bit of evidence that would solidify who the real killer was. Enter Jaehyun, climbing on top of the table with his little clue book in hand, shouting over the others claiming it wasn't the butler, but the heir's betrothed that had done it! She wasn't an heiress after all, but the butler's daughter, ready to take revenge for her father's mistreatment.

It had sounded impossible to the campers, a chaotic chorus of young voices fighting Jaehyun's claim. It had all clicked into place for Johnny though, and before he knew it he was joining Jaehyun on the wooden table to defend his findings. Turns out the two boys who just couldn't seem to stand one another that whole summer had made a pretty good team, being the only two to figure out the final mystery.

"Still," Jaehyun's voice catches Johnny's attention back from his wandering thoughts, "I appreciate it. Here."

The little paper Jaehyun had shoved into Johnny's hand that day had contained his address, directions to a small town on the other side of the city Johnny's own family lived in. By bus it was only a short ride and even riding his bike would only take twenty minutes.

After camp had ended the two began to spend a lot more time together, meeting up during their free time at the library or running off to sneak into the movie theater between their houses. Johnny was glad that the two had ended up becoming friends. Just like the library, Jaehyun's friendship was something that was his and his alone, not having to share with his brother or cousin. He came to cherish it.

Somehow, though, time had ticked on and the two had grown. They ended up doing almost everything together; going to highschool, joining sports teams, sharing their first kiss, their first time. Hell, they even moved in together during university, adopting a dog together.

Sadly, they eventually learned that the relationship they thought had been strong enough to withstand anything had crumbled beneath their feet, dropping them into the abyss. There had been fights, accusations, hurtful words, and so many tears.

A wave of heavy guilt, and maybe the effects of drinking on an empty stomach, hits Johnny full force as he relives it all. It makes his stomach roll and drives him from his spot on the hotel floor, stumbling past the bed just in time to make it to the bathroom. His knees hit the polished floor with a soft thud as he ducks his head into the toilet bowl to empty his guts.

He retches, body shaking with the force of it, until his stomach is once again empty. His head is pounding and there are tears at the corner of his eyes, but he sits back and flushes the toilet. It's late and he's exhausted both physically and emotionally.

Johnny forces himself up from the floor, making quick work of brushing his teeth to get rid of the taste of wine and bile and washing his puffy face free of tears he refuses to admit were there. Who knew seeing his ex, someone he thought he was over, would wreck him so badly?

He manages to coax his body into moving, even if it's at a sluggish pace. Johnny crawls into the bed to curl up, not even bothering to fuss with pulling the blankets over his exhausted frame, let alone much else. He lets out a slow breath as his body relaxes, stomach finally settling enough for him to close his eyes.

Johnny half expected his brain to keep running and prevent him from getting any rest. To hyper focus on why Jaehyun was in Elysium in the first place or why he was following them. Maybe even to drift off into thinking about the last time that dimpled smile had been directed his way. Instead, exhaustion took over and he quickly fell asleep.

°°°

The sound of the door clicking open causes Johnny to finally stirr. He blinks his eyes open slowly, the room now dark except for the light from the main hall casting a soft gold halo across the floor. Even the glowing neon light from the rest of the city beyond the dark waves had been blocked out by thick curtains that had been pulled shut. Johnny doesn't remember shutting them before passing out.

 _"Probably just Mark."_ Johnny's tired brain supplies. He rolls on his side, wiping the crust from the corners of his eyes and the line of droll from his chin, before sitting up to look around the room.

Johnny expects to see his cousin, most likely stumbling around trying to kick his shoes off as quietly as possible. Probably even with a dopey grin on his face from spending a night with his crush. What he doesn't expect is an empty entryway, the door to his hotel room thrown wide open, but nobody in sight. The light in the hallway flickers, momentarily casting the room into pitch darkness. 

Johnny leans across the bed to get a better look into the hall, but also noting the cold sheets in the space beside him. He moves to grab his watch then, squinting in the temporary light from the hall at the time. It's late, well past the time Mark should have been back.

Paranoia seeps into his core, running through his veins like venom and constricting his lungs each time the outside light casts the room in black. What could have happened to his cousin to keep him out so late? His date could have gone well, but Johnny knows Mark. Knows that he would at least send a message to Jungwoo or whoever was at the front desk that he wasn't coming back that night. Did Jungwoo come in then? Maybe he saw Johnny's state and decided to close the curtain and turn off the light for him, but why leave the door open?

There's a noise from the bathroom that makes Johnny jump, hand moving to hover over where his heart is threatening to break free from his chest. The soft rustling of the bottles on the bathroom counter continues. Johnny slowly forces himself up off the bed, hoping that it is just Mark messing around, but still careful not to make too much noise. Maybe Mark is drunk. Too drunk to realize what he was doing.

The light from the hall goes out again, the electricity buzzing softly before cutting out entirely. It drapes the room in inky darkness and an unsettling silence, making it difficult for Johnny to see where he's going and making panic rise in his throat. He reaches for the lamp on the desk, clicking the chain and cursing internally when the room stays dark. He feels around, hoping that the thing was just unplugged, but his hopes are crushed as his hand meets empty air where the bulb was supposed to be.

Johnny can feel goosebumps rise on both of his arms, the feeling of being watched crawling over his skin uncomfortably. Whatever is going on, he realizes, he's being played with. He's merely prey being teased by something ready to pounce in the dark, fanged maw open and ready devour him whole.

He keeps his posture as calm as he can, shoulders relaxed and breathing measured and even. He deliberately slows his movements, hoping to seem the picture of a confused and collected mouse. Unaware.

Johnny's steps are light as he grabs his journal, tucking it into his arms and quickly sweeping his hand over the desk. His fingers meet with Mark's camera bag and he quickly grabs it, swinging the strap over his neck and unzipping the compartment to shove his journal inside. He hesitates before zipping the bag shut, instead pulling the camera free of it's spot and uncapping the lense.

The noise from the bathroom has stopped now, banging fading to silence. It only lasts a moment before someone starts humming instead. The song is an old church tune, one Johnny remembers from accompanying Mark and his aunt to the occasional sermon. Reminiscing does nothing to relax his nerves, making him move quicker in his attempt to escape the room.

A few steps from the bathroom door Johnny's bare foot comes into contact with a cold wet spot. He jerks back, squinting in the darkness for the cause. The half empty wine bottle he had been drinking from earlier lays abandoned on the floor, tipped from when he made his run to the bathroom and now fully empty. He doesn't hesitate to grab the bottle by the neck, ignoring the sticky wine drying against his skin as he steps around the puddle.

His steps are quick and as quiet as possible as he heads for the exit. The bathroom door is open wide and the humming has increased to soft singing, the woman's voice breaking on the higher notes. Johnny can't help but sneak a peek into the room as he passes, realizing his mistake as he steps on the broken glass of the missing lightbulb. He makes a noise as it slices into his foot before his head snaps up, everything stilling around him for a moment as their eyes meet.

He can't see much of her, mostly just the silhouette of a small woman, hair a matted mess around her head, but what stuns him is that her face is illuminated by bright orange flames that she holds in her palm like it's nothing. Her eyes are wild as they lock on his, focused in on every movement he makes as he slowly raises Mark's camera.

He doesn't know what he's thinking as he clicks the shutter, the large flash box screwed into the top of the camera filling the room with bright white light as it goes off with a hum. It's enough for Johnny to see the bloody handprints smeared on the sink and up the mirror, but it works as enough of a distraction to break their eye contact. The woman blinks and Johnny takes that moment to run, stumbling towards the door as fast as possible with spots in his vision and glass in his foot.

He makes it to the door, throwing himself out into the hall just as an animalistic screech comes from behind him. Johnny runs towards the main stairs, feet pounding loudly against the floor. He notices as he looks behind him at the sound of a loud crash that almost every room door in the hall is thrown open, dark patches leading in a zigzag trail from one to another.

His body slams harshly into the door of the stairwell, his shoulder taking most of the impact, and it takes him a moment of fighting with the handle, sweaty palms slipping from the metal, to realize that it has been jammed from the inside. He swears under his breath as he looks around, hoping for some place to hide.

There's another guttural scream, giving Johnny the horrifying image of a hound signaling having found its prey. Johnny turns, automatically backing up once he notices how close the woman had gotten to him. 

She's panting hard, mouth parted open as she stares him down. Her fingers are flexing by her sides like claws poised to rip flesh clean from bone. The fire is gone from her hands, but there's a buzzing coming from her throat and despite the dark, Johnny can tell something isn't quite right with the skin on her exposed arms. It looks almost like it's moving.

He presses himself back against the wall, realizing he's hit the hard metal of the closed elevator doors. The cold of it seeps through Johnny's thin shirt, making him shiver slightly, which turns into a wince of pain as his bruised shoulder presses against the door. Johnny can only pray that it's still working as he fumbles to find the button beside him. He hits it a few times before he hears a whir of motion and he almost wants to breathe a sigh of relief.

The woman watches him closely, scowling as the elevator light flashes above their heads, her eyes flicking upwards towards the movement. She growls as the machine dings loudly and she raises her arms, palms facing Johnny.

The doors behind him slide open, flooding the hall with light as Johnny falls back into the lift hard. The light exposes the almost grey skin of the woman's arms and face, green pockets bubbling up like boils from wrist to elbow. The buzzing is louder now and Johnny stares in horror as large wasps crawl from the marks on her arms, filling the hall with a swarm of coin sized insects.

He can't help but yelp as she bends her arms at the elbows before throwing them out towards him, the wasps following the movement of her hands. They rush towards him in a loud swarm of buzzing fury and Johnny hurries to crawl across the floor to hit the button to close the door to the elevator.

It slides shut just as a mass of insects hit the elevator, a loud thud echoing through the small space and rocking the box slightly. The lights flash, but the lift begins to descend and Johnny can't help but to let out a loud breath. He's safe, if only for a moment.

Johnny wipes at the sweat that drips from his hair into his eyes with the back of his hand, before standing. He winces as he tries to put pressure on his one foot, making a face at the blood that is dripping onto the floor in a small puddle. He shuffles to the side of the lift, leaning against the railing as he rips a strip of fabric off the bottom of his shirt. It works as a makeshift bandage and Johnny makes quick work of typing it tight around his wound.

The elevator doors let out a loud ding as they slide open to reveal the quiet lobby of Solaris. Johnny gathers himself, leaving the wine bottle behind where he had dropped it and instead heading to the main desk. 

The phone is dead when he picks it up, no dial tone ringing for him to call the emergency line. He decides to check the desk for supplies, but comes up short when Jungwoo's side is locked. The other receptionist's, though, opens with no problem when Johnny yanks at the drawer handle. He shuffles through papers and hidden snacks before moving on to another drawer.

When that too yeilds nothing, he limps his way to the dining area, heading straight for the kitchen. If any room in the whole hotel might have a better weapon than a bottle, the kitchen was his best bet.

The lights are off when he enters, careful not to make much noise just in case. He stands still for a moment, trying to let his eyes adjust to the dark before he starts looking through the cabinets. After a few mmoments of searching he spots a baseball bat on the far side of the kitchen, taking up residence above the rack where the aprons are hanging. He grabs that, giving it a few experimental swings, before heading back into the main lobby.

Johnny can hear movement from the main room as he crosses the dining room floor, not really surprised that the woman followed him. He stays still, hidden behind a small expanse of wall that seaparates the two spaces, as he gears himself for the fight ahead. He twists the bat nervously in his hands to shop them shaking as hs rounds the corner, bat poised to strike.

"Stop!" Jaehyun is not the first person, or the second really, that Johnny expects to see in Solaris. All his wine drunk thoughts had led him to think of the younger man, but not once did his scared thoughts ever want him to be faced with what Johnny himself just saw.

"Jae. What are you doing here?" Johnny croaks out, lowering his arms as he watches the other man closely. He's leaning heavily against the wall, arm clutched against his side. The bright lights makes it easy to spot red seeping between his fingers. "Shit, you're hurt."

Jaehyun tries to wave Johnny away with his free hand as the other tries to look at his wound. It's to no avail. He hisses as Johnny pulls his bloodied hand away from the wound, a nasty gash just under his ribs.

"I got jumped by a splicer on the way here. He separated my partner and I." Jaehyun manages to say, face growing more red as Johnny tries to put pressure on the wound again, looking around for something to bandage it with.

"Splicer?" He asks, making a small noise as he spots a pillowcase in a pile by the desk. He makes Jaehyun put his hand back on the gash as he rushes to grab it, giving it a quick look over before shrugging, determining it clean enough.

"Back in Rapture there were drugs one could take that gave people abilities beyond their control." Jaehyun starts, hissing in pain as Johnny puts the folded up cloth against his side.

"Plasmids, right?"

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that… But yes. The people who used them regularly and got addicted enough to feel the side effects were called splicers." Jaehyun gives Johnny a look as the older quickly unbuckles the youngers belt, sliding it off and moving it to hold the fabric in place against his wound.

When Johnny is satisfied, he stands, picking up hs gear as he does. His foot still hurts, so he leans more on his good side, not missing the quick look over Jaehyun gives him.

"We need to get out of here and get to medical." Johnny says as he limps towards the main door. "We can look for your partner on the way." He stops, looking back at Jaehyun who has yet to move. "Unless you want to deal with the splicer upstairs."

That, paired with the loud thud from the upper floor kicks Jaehyun into gear. He moves as quickly as he can towards Johnny, grimacing as he does.

Johnny really didn't expect to see his ex here in the city. Honestly, didn't expect to see or talk to him for the rest of his life. Especially not while they're both bleeding and, Johnny's pretty sure, in need of stitches because of a super powered person hooked on illegal gene splicing.

As they step out into the streets of Olympus, the weirdness of the situation settles over him and Johnny can only hope that Mark's night is going way better than his.


End file.
